Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole, top, reaches for the ball over Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane during the first half of Game 3 at the Chase Center on Sat May 7, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Dismantle Memphis 142-112

By Barbara Mason

Saturday night the Golden State Warriors hosted the Memphis Grizzlies in Game Three of the NBA Western Conference semifinals. This series is dead even 1-1 and we have seen some wild and crazy basketball. We’ve seen ejections on both sides and we’ve seen some heart wrenching moments as well..

Taking Game One on the road was a key victory for the Warriors. In Game Two the Warriors had some great opportunities to win this game in the fourth quarter but fell short. The 18 turnovers played a huge part in the loss.

Game 3 recap: In Game Two the Warriors suffered the loss of Gary Payton II who fractured his elbow due to an unethical, frankly dirty block from Dillon Brooks who has been suspended from Saturday’s game. The Warriors rebounded from their game 2 loss with a huge 142-112 win in game 3 to go up 2-1 in the series.

The first quarter was a horrible start for Golden State with seven turnovers, the Grizzlies taking full advantage of them. (Golden Gate would have 14 turnovers in the first half) The Warriors were lucky to only be trailing 28-26 after one quarter. At one time in the opening quarter the Warriors trailed by 13 points.

The Warriors turned this game around in the second quarter. They took the lead by as much as 12 points in the second. At the half the Warriors were shooting at 70% with a 64-57 lead. With 0.1 on the clock Ja Morant made a 48-foot three pointer finishing the first half with 17 points show-casing his amazing playoff run for Memphis.

Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and Otto Porter Jr. all shot in double digits. The Warriors had really amped it up in the second quarter. They would need more of the same in the second half to win this game.

The Warriors came unglued in the third quarter taking a 101-80 lead. The Warriors only had one turnover in the quarter and their defensive effort was on point. Buckets were falling and this had to be their best quarter in the playoffs so far.

The Warriors would match that amazing third quarter in the fourth quarter. The Warriors won this game by a landslide 142-112 to take the series lead 2-1. Curry would finish with 30 points followed by Jordan Poole with 27 points.

Everything came together in this game. They had better shot selection, great ball control and solid defense. The slow start that Thompson had in the first two games turned around completely. He finished with 21 points.

Some bad news for Memphis came when Ja Morant left late in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. From all appearances it would seem that he may not be at 100% on Monday provided he is even able to play. A crushing blow for the team and Morant. We should have a better picture tomorrow after he has been evaluated.

The Warriors will play Game Four at Chase Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.