The Golden State Warriors looked destined to roll through these playoffs after five-straight wins to open the postseason. The Memphis Grizzlies provided a rude awakening on Tuesday in Oakland, clamping down on defense and suffocating the Dubs en route to a series-tying 97-90 win.
The stage is set for Saturday night's pivotal Game 3 in Memphis. Who's got the advantage? Here's our sneak preview.
Projected Starting Lineups
(All stats based on playoff performance only)
(1) Golden State Warriors
G Stephen Curry – 29.3 ppg, 7.0 apg
G Klay Thompson – 21.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg
F Harrison Barnes – 9.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg
F Draymond Green – 15.5 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 4.8 apg
C Andrew Bogut – 6.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg
(5) Memphis Grizzlies
G Mike Conley – 17.5 ppg, 3.5 apg
G Courtney Lee – 15.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg
F Tony Allen – 7.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg
F Zach Randolph – 15.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg
C Marc Gasol – 19.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg
What to watch for:
Will Golden State's supporting cast step up?
Tony "Grindfather" Allen is lurking, and that means that the Golden State Warriors are going to have to work through options B, C and so forth on offense in order to limit the damage the *First-Team All-Defense* candidate can do.
Just about 65% of the Dubs' offense in these playoffs have come from the team's new Big 3 of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Someone like Andre Iguodala and/or Harrison Barnes will need to help share the load, or Allen and his band of defensive hornets may take a 2-1 series lead.
Prediction: Warriors win 100-95
Golden State is too talented and too adaptable to be held down for long. This should be an epic back-and-forth tussle, but the Warriors' deep roster and unquestionable resolve should ultimately help them silence a raucous crowd in the "Grindhouse."
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