The Golden State Warriors are now one win from their fifth Western Conference Finals appearance in eight seasons following a 101-98 Game 4 win over a Memphis Grizzlies outfit minus Ja Morant.
The Grizzlies got off to a hot start and led for almost the entirety of the game before surrendering their lead late in the fourth quarter. Stephen Curry put up a game-high 32 points for Golden State, with 18 coming in the fourth and final frame. The 34-year-old also had 5 rebounds and 8 assists and hit on 4 of his 14 three-point attempts. Andrew Wiggins kept up his steady play with 17 points and 10 rebounds, whilst Otto Porter Jr. added a quartet of triples off the bench. Klay Thompson had another rough night shooting, finishing with just 14 points on 6-of-20 from the field and 0-of-7 from three, whilst Draymond Green took only a pair of shot attempts all game but did manage 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and a collection of momentum-turning defensive plays.
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An already tall task became even taller for the Grizzlies when star point guard Ja Morant was ruled out with a knee injury. His squad fought hard but were pipped ever-so-slightly at the post and now face a situation in which they need to win three straight to keep their season alive. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the way with 21 points and 5 rebounds, whilst Tyus Jones had 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in 41 minutes off the bench. Desmond Bane’s struggles continued, with the second-year wing finishing with just 8 points on 3-of-8 from the field, whilst Dillon Brooks put up 12 points on 5-of-19 from the field and 2-of-7 from three. Steven Adams had a 10-point, 15-rebound double-double in just 27 minutes, whilst Kyle Anderson added 17 points and 8 rebounds on 7-of-8 field goals off the bench.
Memphis shot higher percentages from the field and from three but Golden State made 11 more free-throws and won the rebounding battle. Despite losing the turnover battle 16-12, the Warriors managed to score more points off turnovers on their way to a three-point victory. Memphis found themselves up a dozen with a little over 10 minutes left but were unable to stop a Curry-inspired avalanche and slowly watched the game slip away from them.
Game 5 will be back in Memphis on Thursday, where Golden State can wrap up the series and punch their tickets to the Western Conference Finals. Morant’s status is still up in the air after he injured his knee in Memphis’ Game 3 loss but the Grizzlies have to be prepared to take on this Warriors’ team without their All-Star. The winner of the series will face the winner between Phoenix and Dallas, which is currently at 2-2 with Game 5 to be played tomorrow in Phoenix.
