Well, we thought Memphis would punch back, and punch back they did. There’s a lot that went wrong for Minnesota, but they lost this game because Memphis was the aggressor. From the opening tip, the more aggressive team, and it showed all night long.
In a way, tonight felt like the Wolves “welcome to the playoffs” moment. The Grizzlies played with a ferocity and an intensity that wasn’t there on Saturday, and the Wolves didn’t match that. The attention to detail and physicality from Memphis was noticeably different than what they brought on Saturday, and they’re a damn good team when they play with that physicality.