9:00 PM EST, ESPN – Line: Grizzlies -1, Over/Under: 229.0
Tonight, we’ll find out whether what has been easily the most entertaining matchup in these playoffs will come to an end or last a little while longer, as the Memphis Grizzlies look to close out the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Six of their first Round Series from Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With questions looming all season as to whether or not the Grizzlies (56-26, 2nd in Western Conference) possessed the requisite killer instinct to thrive in the playoffs, they now find themselves in position to provide us with an answer. Few teams have made a leap as large as Memphis has this season, improving by EIGHTEEN games en route to capturing the second seed out West. However, they’ve quickly found out that being the hunted is VERY different than being the hunters, for while they own a 3-2 lead in this matchup against the Wolves, they could very well be on the opposite end of that outcome. Learning to win is tough and learning to win in the postseason is exponentially more difficult, and (Head Coach) Taylor Jenkins’ troops have been learning on the job in this series, where if we’re being honest, they’ve been rather fortunate to be matched up against an opponent just as young as they are. In fact, this particular matchup is the youngest between any two sides in the NBA Playoff History. And it’s with that said that youth and inexperience are the keywords for the Grizzlies, who sport an average age of just 23.1 years old, with nary a single member of the rotation over the age of twenty-eight. Of course, it also helps to have a talent such as (emerging Guard) Ja Morant (27.4 PTS, 49.3% FG, 34.4% 3FG, 76.1% FT, 5.7 REB, 6.7 AST, 1.2 STL, 24.4 PER) pulling the strings, with the first-time All-Star and Most Improved Player finalist embodying the Grizzlies’ seismic leap. The explosive floor general has absolutely leveled up in this, his third year in the Association, posting career-highs in a slew of categories including points (27.4), field goal percentage (49.3%), three-point percentage (34.4%), two-point percentage (53.4%), rebounds (5.7), steals (1.2), and PER (24.4). One of the very best finishers in the game today, Morant has the electrifying quick step to routinely blow by defenders and the attitude and fearlessness to finish at the rim, evidenced by the fact that he became the first Guard in NBA history to lead the league in points in the paint. However, Memphis has been far from a one-man band, for the supporting cast has grown exponentially too; (versatile Forward) Jaren Jackson Jr. (16.3 PTS, 41.5% FG, 31.9% 3FG, 82.3% FT, 5.8 REB, 1.1 AST, 0.9 STL, 2.3 BLK, 17.0 PER) has finally begun to deliver on his enormous two-way potential, while (sharpshooting Guard) Desmond Bane (18.2 PTS, 46.1% FG, 43.6% 3FG, 90.3% FT, 4.4 REB, 2.7 AST, 1.2 STL, 17.6 PER) has offered crucial spacing from the perimeter, with the bullish Dillon Brooks (18.4 PTS, 43.2% FG, 30.9% 3FG, 84.9% FT, 3.2 REB, 2.8 AST, 1.1 STL, 15.5 PER) bringing a tenacious attitude to the defensive end, while (veteran Center) Steven Adams (6.9 PTS, 54.7% FG, 54.3% FT, 10.0 REB, 3.4 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.8 BLK, 17.6 PER) has proven to be an excellent fit in the frontcourt as the elder statesman at 28-years of age. However, that youth and inexperience can lead to some rather dramatic ups and downs, which is we’ve seen throughout the first five games of this series; after getting blown out in Game One (117-130), they returned the favor in Game Two (124-96), and between Games Three (104-95) and Five (111-109) became the first team in history to rally back to win multiple games within a series in which they trailed by double-digits heading into the fourth quarter. In Game Four, they fell into a 15-point hole and a 24-point hole, only to go a thunderous 21-0 run between the third and fourth periods to steal a victory, while Tuesday’s triumph also saw a sizable deficit erased. Down by as many as thirteen points, Jenkins’ charges clawed back into the affair in the fourth stanza in which they outscored the Timberwolves 37-24 on 10-of-23 shooting from the field (43.5%), including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc (50.0%), with much of their production coming from the stripe (13-of-17), where they held a commanding 8-point margin. Morant erupted for EIGHTEEN points in the quarter, including his team’s final thirteen points. Trailing 106-102 with 1:46 left to play, the newly-minted Most Improved Player recipient cut the deficit to two points at the free-throw line, before taking the lead via a wide-open three-pointer at the top of the arc. Then, after both teams exchanged possessions, Morant went back to the stripe to net another pair of free-throws, growing the home side’s lead to three, before Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards drained the game-tying triple from the righthand corner with two defenders in his face. However, Ja would indeed have the last laugh, for advancing the ball to halfcourt following a timeout, the young floor general would receive the inbound, and take advantage of a wide-open lane to finish with a left-handed layup to retake the lead with one second left on the clock to win the game. In the end, Memphis overcame a poor shooting night overall (41.5%) and from the perimeter (7-of-28), in large part due to Morant’s exploits (30 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists), and their ability to make things happen off second chance opportunities; the Grizz led the NBA in second chance points this season (18.7) and dominated the visiting side in that category on Tuesday night (23-6), powered by their EIGHTEEN offensive rebounds, which is yet another category that they lead the league in. Furthermore, they also continued to take advantage of the Wolves’ carelessness, turning them over twenty-three times for twenty-three points via turnovers. Through five games they’ve forced NINETY turnovers leading to 113 points as a result, a 23-point advantage for the Southwest Division champions. The aforementioned Bane added twenty-five points on 9-of-20 shooting (45.0%), while (third year Forward) Brandon Clarke (10.4 PTS, 64.4% FG, 22.7% 3FG, 65.4% FT, 5.3 REB 1.3 AST, 0.6 STL, 1.1 BLK, 23.7 PER) made a huge impact off the bench, with twenty-one points on 9-of-14 shooting (64.3%) and fifteen rebounds. With all that said, now comes the hard part, for the Grizzlies must now close out a series for the first time since 2015, and if they do, they’ll find a familiar adversary waiting for them: the third-seeded Warriors closed out their First Round Series against the Nuggets on Wednesday night and are ironically the last opponent that Memphis has faced when they advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals eight years ago.
Meanwhile, when they eventually get past the excitement of returning to the playoffs for just the second time since 2004, the Timberwolves (46-36, 7th in Western Conference) will be lamenting the plethora of wasted opportunities that they’ve had in this series, which have been NUMEROUS. The themes of youth and inexperience that have run rampant throughout this matchup with Memphis apply to Minnesota as well, though they’ve found themselves on the wrong side of those nous more than they would like. Indeed, a more experienced team would be leading this series 3-2 rather than trailing, and a more ruthless side would in all likelihood have already moved on to the second round, but as we’ve seen thus far, the Wolves are neither of these. So, what in the name of Kevin Garnett has happened to this team, you ask? Well, the issue is that (Head Coach) Chris Finch’s charges are very talented, but also very immature; to the surprise of many, this team was the league’s most prolific on the offensive end this season, averaging a robust 115.9 points per game (1st Overall), making (14.8) and attempting (41.3) more three-pointers than any team in the Association, all the while playing at a breakneck pace of 100.9 possessions per 48 minutes of action (1st Overall). Furthermore, while they generally left a lot to be desired defensively, they proved adept at forcing an NBA-best 16.3 turnovers, which as we detailed with their opponent, is the easiest way of pushing the tempo. (All-Star Center) Karl-Anthony Towns (24.6 PTS, 54.9% FG, 41.0% 3FG, 82.2% FT, 9.8 REB, 3.6 AST, 1.0 STL, 1.1 BLK, 24.1 PER) has long been one of the better big men in the game, though you always felt that there was something missing from the 26-year-old that ultimately kept him from becoming a dominant force; under Finch’s guidance his defense has improved, while proving to be one of the greatest shooters at his size in NBA history (41.0% 3FG). Perhaps all he needed was the right running mate, which the Timberwolves believe that they have found in the form of (2020 No. One Overall Pick) Anthony Edwards (21.3 PTS, 44.1% FG, 35.7% 3FG, 78.6% FT, 4.8 REB, 3.8 AST, 1.5 STL, 0.6 BLK, 16.5 PER), who has really turned up in 2021-2022; in his second season with the franchise, the explosive Guard has logged career-highs in a slew of categories including points (21.3), field goal percentage (44.1%), three-point percentage (35.7%), rebounds (4.8), assists (3.8), and steals (1.5). His emergence has also allowed (streaky Guard) D’Angelo Russell (18.1 PTS, 41.1% FG, 34.0% 3FG, 82.5% FT, 3.3 REB, 7.1 AST, 1.0 STL, 16.3 PER) to settle in as a solid third option, while (veteran stopper) Patrick Beverley (9.2 PTS, 40.6% FG, 34.3% 3FG, 72.2% FT, 4.1 REB, 4.6 AST, 1.2 STL, 14.8 PER) arrived in the offseason to infuse his young teammates with that innate toughness and attitude that has made the 33-year-old one of the league’s premier pests over the last decade. Add it all up, and Minnesota finally looks like a real team with a real pecking order rather than simply a collection of ill-fitting talent. Unfortunately, the rapid, free-flowing style of play often borderlines on reckless, proving to be a proverbial double-edged sword. We’ve already touched upon their carelessness with the basketball, committing a dismal NINETY turnovers in this series, which the Grizzlies have been happy to parlay into 113 points, but the other problem is that when you shoot as many threes as they do, you’re bound to go through peaks and valleys, which in turn opens you up to comebacks. When this series is over, we’ll likely look back to Game Three’s 21-0 rally from Memphis as to when this affair officially changed; the hosts squandered multiple big leads in that contest, with turnovers, fouls, and overall poor shot-selection contributing to their meltdown, while Finch himself drew a wealth of criticism for not even calling a timeout through the ordeal. Hell, even though they managed to survive Game Four (119-118), the Timberwolves led by as many as fifteen points in the second half, and still very nearly threw it all away. This, of course, brings us to Tuesday’s 111-109 defeat, which once again featured a late collapse; leading by thirteen points following a Towns’ triple at the 9:38 mark of the fourth period, the visitors went 5-of-15 from the field the rest of the way (33.3%), including 2-of-7 from beyond the arc (28.5%), though Edwards’ fadeaway three-pointer from the corner would tie the game at 109-109 with three seconds to play. After Memphis advanced the ball to halfcourt following a timeout, Edwards opted to jump the passing lane in hopes of a steal, but was unsuccessful, as the aforementioned Morant received the pass, and drove down a wide-open lane for the game-winning finish with his off-hand. In the end, Minnesota shot 44.6% from the field, including 14-of-33 from downtown (42.4%), and 21-of-24 from the charity stripe (87.5%), with Towns and Edwards combining for fifty points on 15-of-35 shooting (42.8%), including 8-of-16 from long-range (50.0%), with the former totaling a dozen rebounds. However, the big fella also accounted for SEVEN of his team’s TWENTY-THREE turnovers, which equaled the number of assists that they dished out as well. Needless to say, that’s not championship basketball, and neither is committing nearly thirty persona fouls and seeing your opponent attempt THIRTY-NINE free-throws. Granted, the hosts only netted twenty-six of them, but you simply can’t bail out the other side by sending them to the stripe. Then again, the Wolves committed the second-most personal fouls in the NBA this season (21.8), with their opponents attempting (25.4) and making (19.8) more free-throws against them than any other team, which is very much a byproduct of the pace they play at and trying to force so many turnovers. Basically, it’s in their DNA at this point, and we highly doubt that they’ll start playing in a more reserved manner anytime soon. With that said, whether this series ends tonight or lasts into the weekend, Minnesota must treat this whole affair as a learning experience, so that moving forward they can endeavor to excise these mental breakdowns and play with a greater sense of discipline, for only then will they be able to take the next step out West, though they certainly have the talent to get there.