Dub Nation HQ Comments of Week, plus open thread
Dub Nation HQ Comments of Week, plus open thread
ride the rollercoaster of emotions, it's been a heck of a week
Game 6 Klay strikes Memphis' season down with…
HE'S BACK! And not surprisingly, so are the Warriors...
Eric Apricot (34 ♡):
I’ve spent the day just enjoying that GSW made it back to the conference finals. I don’t want the team to be satisfied with that, but as a fan, I can appreciate it and not take it for granted.
Even skipping over the Lost Year 2020, and then the Discombobulated Year 2021 which ended with GSW finally catching fire, and then the huge ups and downs of this year…
Even as recently as Apr 1, the team had just dropped 7 out of 8 games in ugly fashion, people were calculating if GSW could fall all the way into the play-in and bomb out of the playoffs.
Even as recently as Apr 16, when the playoffs started, we didn’t know what we would get out of Poole (no data), Klay (long road back from injury and not looking great), Dray (looking eh), Steph (just back from injury). We didn’t know if Jokic would just steamroll our tiny team.
Then I won’t recount all the wild drama and swings of the MEM series, since they are fresh.
In short, it’s been a wild, exhausting ride and I’m taking a moment to just appreciate.
Ahhhhh
EyeBlack22 (22 ♡):
Making the WCF again after all the team has been through the last few years is a major accomplishment. Everyone in the organization from the front office, to the coaching staff, to the players, believed they could get back to this point even when many folks doubted them and said they were washed up.
It’s amazing to witness such a feat and demonstrates what the heart of a champion looks like.
At the same time, seeing just how tough the Grizzlies played us reinforced to me the idea of how fleeting this all is. Eventually the young, hungry teams in the league will wrestle away the crown from our wily, old group. Even with our own talented youth movement, a lot needs to go right for us to keep competing for championships in the years to come.
I guess what I’m saying (without trying to be too dour about it) is that none of know when or if our beloved Dubs will make it this far again.
We can hope that health will be on our side. We can wish that our younger players take giant leaps forward. We can pray that our core continues to age gracefully.
But none of that is a given. And one day it will all be gone.
But today isn’t that day. We’re here now in the WCF. Two series away from another championship. And another chance for our guys to etch their names in the history books.
So without knowing what the future holds, let’s appreciate what an incredible job our guys have already done this year. And if, God forbid, this ends up being our last true run at a championship with the current core, let’s make sure we enjoy the hell out of it.
Dynasties like our Dubs only come around once in a blue moon. And they deserve to be cherished.
mDuo13 (20 ♡):
Just finished watching the game on the recording. I want to say I love you all but I love Kevon Looney more.
BeerGuy (19 ♡):
Game 6 Klay. What a special, special thing to get to see. His post-game interview was fantastic too. You can tell he's really present and grateful and just soaking up the moment after everything he's been through.
Steph's post-game was interesting to me. He's obviously so thoughtful and such a great statesman but it felt like there was something else there too. An edge. He knows there's 8 more wins to get and he wasn't celebrating anything.
I think the discourse around the Grizzlies is really interesting. Obviously to be as good as they are as young as they are bodes well for the future. They're in an interesting spot with Ja in that in his current form, in terms of high level playoff basketball, they can have either an elite defense OR an elite closer on the floor but not both at the same time and that will continue to be the case unless he levels up significantly on the defensive end. I do love how genuine their camaraderie feels. They play for each other, and that shows through. At the same time they seem extremely entitled for a team that has won exactly one playoff series with its (admittedly young and promising) core.
All in all this felt like an "iron sharpens iron" series (Dubs for this playoff run, Grizz going forward) but I personally reject the notion that it is fait accompli that the Grizzlies will be contenders for years. I feel like they could just as easily get ousted by the Clips/Nugs/Dubs the next few seasons and never have it all come together. Brooks' "They're old and we're young" has serious Pat Bev "the next five years are mine" energy. Will be fun to watch it develop. They can enjoy their view from the couch for now though.
Also, I love Draymond Green. That is all.
Chadara (17 ♡):
Just to reinforce what a great basketball player (and mind) Draymond Green is. Mike Brown said that Draymond along with Steph called for Kevon Looney to be back in the starting lineup, and Steve Kerr is a player's coach, so looks to them for guidance. Compare that to what happened with the Lakers and LeBron taking charge, and the Nets with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving wanting to call the shots. It is one thing for a team to give the players input into decisions, quite another to have them be unselfish and also understand the complete game enough to be successful with their suggestions. The current Warriors have the culture to make it work with Draymond's total basketball IQ and Steph's (and Klay's) humble superstar personas. This helps for the lesser stars to buy in and be comfortable with their roles. Very special indeed!
g8tgod (16 ♡):
Klay is the anti-Harden -- biggest in the big games.
Captain Jack (16 ♡):
The game was hanging there for both teams in the mid 4th until Wiggins snatched the momentum in our favor and the Splash Bros closed it out. Nature taking its course. Just like CP3 and the Suns choking game 7 tomorrow.
Janet (15 ♡):
September seems so long ago. I was worried with a pinch of hopefulness. Klay was out…was Draymond out, too, or was that in November? Covid was raging. I did not know Poole would be so strong. I had not heard of GPII. The rookies were unknown. LA seemed to be real. I had nooooo idea we would be here now. What a wonderful and wild season!
pooryorick (14 ♡):
Nothing more pleasurable as a fan than putting your feet up and watching two rivals go through the desperation of a game 7 when your team has already punched their ticket
Duby Dub Dubs (14 ♡):
Oh man, what a great game / great series!!
Also, I'd like to retract my "kinda screwed" comment. With massive apologies to Wiggs, and Klay and Loon. Massively underestimated what those guys could bring in this playoff run
Captain Jack (14 ♡):
People are giving their defense a lot of credit which is more than valid but also need to realize the effort it takes to shut off an offense of our caliber is next level tiring. We were throwing punches all night and they ate most of them nicely until the Wiggins punch wore them down and finally knocked their focus off a bit. That's all a team with championship DNA needed to smell blood in the water
g8tgod (12 ♡):
To Daniel's query: Before the season, I was excited about what could be with the Klay coming back. I was concerned that they not push him too hard, too soon, for fear that another catastrophic injury would be... well, a catastrophe and might end his career. I was relieved when they didn't rush him back.
I was expecting Wiseman to be ready much sooner. I hoped he would thrive in a simplified role on offense and learn to eat space and intimidate on defense. I lost hope for that as the season progressed. I was sorely disappointed that he never made it onto the court for the Ws.
I /hated/ all the talk of trading Wiggs, Loon, Jordan Poole, and draft picks (or the players they became) for whatever 'star' -- Bradley Beal, Ben Simmons(!), and even Damian Lillard. It made NO sense. Nor did the proposed trades for Myles Turner (who declared himself a main contributor on offense) and Domantas Sabonis (an offensive-oriented big) make sense to me. All of these trades had the Ws overpaying for players that were, IMO, a poor fit. One of the lessons of the Durant-era Warriors is that being top-heavy with stars comes at a cost, and that it's important to have good depth guys who are willing to accept a role and execute it.
I was in favor of getting a big and was both surprised and disappointed that Marquese Chriss never even got an invite and that they couldn't get a nibble from Marc Gasol. I did NOT want Turner or Sabonis. Later, I thought that was maybe a good thing, as I think the guy that would have been bumped was GPII, and I liked him and wanted him WAY more than Avery Bradley, who just seemed spent. I worried when other squads seemed to improve (e.g. the Suns) and the Warriors seemed to be treading water.
I was excited about the vet min acquisitions of Iguodala, OPJ, and Bjelica and thought that given the budget, those guys were an outstanding haul. I was disappointed that we didn't spend the MLE on someone who could help, and that guys like Patty Mills, Paul Millsap, and even Kent Bazemore preferred other destinations to the Ws.
I was hopeful that Moses Moody might be a contributor by the end of the regular season and expected (mostly because of media reports; never saw him play) Kuminga to be so raw as to be of no use this year. I questioned whether that was the best use of the #7 pick. We already had a raw, talented athletic project; two seemed like too many on a team hoping to compete for a championship. Having seen him develop a bit, I repent in sackcloth and ashes. I was hopeful Jordan Poole would take the next step and become a jolt of energy as a sixth man. I never saw his rapid rise coming.
I thought the Ws would finish around 4th or 5th in the west if all went well. I was hoping they might get as far as the conference championship, but wouldn't have been surprised if they had gone out in the 2nd round. Would have been sorely disappointed if they had gotten sent home in round 1.
After watching the team get out to a fast start, I revised my expectations and hoped they might win a championship. Then Dray went out with a serious injury, and the team struggled. Then he came back and Steph went out. I started to worry that they wouldn't be ready for the post-season. I was pleased with how they dispatched Denver, concerned with how they played in games 4, 5, and the first 3 quarters of game 6 against the Grizz.
Now that they're in the Final Four, I am hopeful that they'll get into the championship series. I think they have a puncher's chance there but don't know how they would deal with the size of Boston or Milwaukee especially. Nor do I think Miami would be a cakewalk. But I'll be there with them at the end, come what may. Go Warriors!
Asher B. (11 ♡):
The best part of yesterday's win and how it happened is that I don't need to rewatch the 37 point quarter every three hours now. It has sustained me through many a cold winter's eve, but right now I'm good.
Phood Fight (11 ♡):
On pairing Looney & Green. Yes, I have been very clear about splitting up Dray and Looney and have desired to see OPJ or Beli or JK in the starting lineup. I still believe that moving forward, but Memphis was a different animal in terms of matchups. In most cases, when Dray moves to the 5, he puts himself in a position to defend a scoring big: Jokic, Ayton, Embiid, AD, etc. But Steven Adams isn't a scoring big. He is just a massive human being. What's the point of Dray defending him if Adams isn't looking to score. In fact, that would work great for Memphis to have our best defender guarding their worst scorer. And they have JJJ as a great scoring big. This is why Memphis was such a difficult matchup and the move to put in Loon had more to do with freeing Dray up to guard JJJ than it was to have someone big on Adams. Credit to Dray and Steph for seeing a better way to counter their lineup and having to faith in Loon to hold up his end of the job. Years ago Dray and Steph met in a restaurant to save their playoff lives. This time around, they are concocting their strategy for G6 on the bench in Memphis while getting blitzed. Funny, as the Grizzlies and their fans celebrated, little did they know Steph and Dray were planting the seeds for their ultimate demise. How sweet it is.
Arash (11 ♡):
Wiggy doing all the dirty rebounding work while also giving us his patented 17 ppg is such an underrated part of our squad! Without him/dray, we'd just be a glass cannon of a team with porous defense!
Explain: How Closer Steph, Game 6 Klay…
End to an exhausting series
Eric Apricot (22 ♡):
Not bad for a team picked by several to miss the playoffs
Sleepy Freud (20 ♡):
Beyond the pleasure of vanquishing Memphis and getting a berth in the WCF: having four days off at this point could be absolutely huge for our guys, who have typically come out like gangbusters after more than 2 days of rest (e.g. Game One of rounds 1 and 2). Otto’s foot, Klay’s knee, Dray’s eye/back etc. will all have extra time to heal.
Added bonus: whoever we face in the WCF, Games 1-2 will be in our time zone, with zero to minimal travel time.
Asher B. (18 ♡):
Dear Explain episodes: I just want you to know that I love you all.
invo.k.shen (17 ♡):
Wiggins is such a rock! Love seeing his quiet intensity, doing all the dirty work. He’s really bought in!
E2148 (14 ♡):
Can we talk about Dray actually going to the basket with intention? For me that was a pretty big f***** deal
JLucas32 (11 ♡):
What an incredible, gritty win. That's all I got.
John Butler (11 ♡):
These videos are so helpful. Watching on Slack last night, they somehow cut away right about 5 min left in the 4th, I thought at first there was a timeout, but WTF. So watching your commentary was wonderful.
I have shared them with my GF who finds them wonderful explanations of the intricacy's that I cannot see and she can sometimes see but not understand. These are my first item of the day after a win
fzwinter (11 ♡):
If you want the ring, you got to go through them all. Doesn't matter to me who we play - just bring 'em on!
Eric Apricot (11 ♡):
explain one poutine
hammystyle (10 ♡):
Count me in the “rooting for Mavs” camp. I dunno. I just don’t see the huge matchup disadvantage. We can play Wiggins on Luke a lot, and I even think Klay can play him. Luka isn’t a blow by guy. He’s rhythm, and size. Klay can at least body him. I think it’s a good series for Kuminga as well. He can take a turn in Luka.
And then they’re all just pretty one dimensional. You can hunt Luka, Brunson and Dinwiddie on O. Powell isn’t a physical mismatch on anyone. Bullock and Finney Smith are strictly catch and shoot guys. The Warriors have beaten superior versions of this team in the Harden/ CP3 Rockets and LeBrons Cavs.
And that’s without counting home court advantage.
Mikayla (9 ♡):
Draymond’s heart too
Post-game: Warriors overcome bigball…
What a relief
Eric Apricot (44 ♡):
I just wanted to tell you all that I love you
Klon (29 ♡):
Game? Won
Series? Over
Trick? Whooped
Jenkins? Curious
I love this team and I will do so for the rest of my life. Let's go smoke whatever comes out of Game 7.
We Gon' Be Championship IV: A New Hope
BornInDaEB (28 ♡):
Just wanna say I love this team, I loved this game, I love you all, and I love Eric Apricot.
hammystyle (27 ♡):
I think Wiggins was the toughest, most consistent player for the Dubs on both ends for the series. In the close games he played 41 tonight, 39 game 4, 38 game 2, and 34 game 1. in the blowouts he played 19 in game 5, and 26 in game 3.
He guarded every position. He rebounded like crazy. Must have been a crazy amount of energy to expend. Seems like they were playing chess with his minutes more then anyone else.
hammystyle (25 ♡):
ALL the good ideas came from the players?? Kerr can’t get back soon enough.
John Dicksinson -
Mike Brown said Warriors changed their pick and roll coverage going into tonight and after making the change Andrew Wiggins went to coach Brown and asked if he could pick up Tyus Jones full court. Brown said, "you want to do that for 48 min?" Wiggins replied, "I'm locked in."
rcknfn (25 ♡):
Wiggs going to WCF for first time!!! Go Wiggs
Sleepy Freud (24 ♡):
Warriors v. WC playoff opponents in the Kerr era:
4-0 HOU
3-0 POR
2-0 MEM
2-0 SA
2-0 NOP
1-0 UTA
1-0 DEN
1-0 OKC
1-0 LAC
====
17-0 Total
#FireKerr
Bel (24 ♡):
Lol
Janie McCauley
@JanieMcCAP
Steve Kerr's wife, Margot, tweets: "I never want to watch an NBA game with my husband again!"
rcknfn (24 ♡):
Steph blocking Brooks was something
Freddie (22 ♡):
Game 6 Klay is back...I'm so happy that I've got tears. Thank you so much Klay Thompson
Asher B. (21 ♡):
From the postgame: "Klay, did that feel how it used to feel?" Klay: "It felt better."
Jiggle the handle: Warriors need some new/old…
Without Morant, the Grizzlies are suddenly a worse matchup for Golden State
Mikayla (12 ♡):
So many of these comments are as though you think NBA hall of fame legends should be coached like they’re 7 years old. Whether they make the same mistakes as a 7 year old or not. Come on. These are nba players with nba player egos and a bunch of them have won multiple chips. Let them do their thing. Trust and believe they’ll get it done. If a series was over after a bad blowout loss we’d be in the wcf already.
Janet (11 ♡):
Happy Birthday Weekend, Duby! Let’s Go Warriors!
GlueAndBold (11 ♡):
Warriors game tonight missing Steve Kerr because of Covid. Pearl Jam show I'm going to tonight missing Matt Cameron because of Covid. The Pandemic is ballooning at the moment. Please be careful everyone.
Sabrina420 (11 ♡):
Joel Embiid is a 7ft, 280lb hazard on the court. Falling down every time he touched the ball? Yeah that's how you end careers, Joel. I'm so glad these punks are outta the playoffs. Now can we do the same for the Memphis punks? Please?
Also a little birdy told me it's your birthday weekend so here I am telling ALL OF DNHQ that it's your bday weekend. Happy Birthday and have a great one, DDD!
Duby Dub Dubs (9 ♡):
this is the real secret sauce. If we aren't hitting threes, no lineup choice will really matter all that much
ServantOfLuna (8 ♡):
The Warriors have run nine high screens at Steven Adams in his two games back. Didn't always produce points, but regularly produced a good/great look. Would expect it to be a bigger emphasis for GSW tonight. Here's look at the nine possessions.
Post-game memory wipe #10: Playoff Zenitsu
If ever there was a time for Zen
TM2007 (12 ♡):
I forgot the Bucks lost by 39 to the Nets last year in the second round and went on to win the chip...it's possible!
Mycroft (11 ♡):
Draymond has also had a pretty tough week, I think. Sometimes you can't get by real life.
Captain Jack (10 ♡):
every team has stinkers every now and then but damn, after the “whoop that trick” and the “we’re not the timberwolves” line this was an embarrassing display. trash talking off the court is not our forte. the basketball gods will always make you pay. now i’m confident we can still close them out in 6 but anyone expecting them to lay down and die will be really disappointed friday night. playoffs are about adjustments and they made theirs. that’s why you never call it a series too early. it’s never over until it’s over. of course, we’ve been on both sides of that coin.
Nadav (9 ♡):
I kinda think the Grizzlies are better without Ja. Much less predictable, much better defense. He’s amazing to watch but I’m not sure he makes the team better.
alv66 (9 ♡):
DIDN'T LOSE BY 40!
Morant out with bone bruise, why were…
Plus: a look at adjustments for the closeout game
Time (18 ♡):
OT but I haven't seen it shared here. The Ringer had a long interview with JaVale McGee, and it had some really nice quotes about the Warriors:
'the culture in Golden State made everything click into place. “The message was simple,” he says. “JaVale, you are going to dunk every fucking basketball. You’re going to block shots. You’re going to be a monster on defense.” And now, when describing his early experiences with Golden State, McGee grows animated. “And you’re going to be able to do that because our defensive concepts are amazing. Our team communication is amazing. And everyone else on this team is going to do their job exactly like you’re going to do yours. Because that’s just how it is when you’re on a championship team.”'
Great article, worth a read!
https://www.theringer.com/2022/5/10/23064200/javale-mcgee-phoenix-suns-nba-playoffs
Sabrina420 (17 ♡):
95.7 The Game
@957thegame
·
18m
“We’ve got to be subtle when we first come out. We’ve tried to go for a lot of home run plays but we’ve discussed that, let’s just pick them apart, flow off start and take our time.”
Otto Porter on the Warriors slow starts in this series vs Grizzlies.
PlainCandleLight (17 ♡):
JP and JJJ story:
> It was in that LaLu gym that Poole says he developed his touch around the rim that’s added a prized dynamic to the Warriors’ scoring today…..
“Jaren is a big reason why my finishing game is so strong,” Poole said. “We played one-on-one, and when I figured out how to score against taller opponents and more athletic bigs, he was the prototype.”
TheseGuysAreF’ingGIANTS! (17 ♡):
Didn’t the Ja bone bruise happen because he recklessly went knee to knee with a guy who just came back from knee and Achilles injuries?
narrative
hammystyle (14 ♡):
After a few days - here's my take.
Memphis was really indignant after Kerr called out Brooks. Regardless of whether Draymond's play was anywhere near as dangerous, they felt really aggrieved that Kerr called Brooks out in the moment and then doubled up with the "broke the code" comment. Admittedly, I was surprised at the length Kerr took it.
Then after the Morant injury:
1) Morant's tweet is a direct response to the Kerr comment. However, it's being received as comparing what Brooks and Poole did so he smartly took it down.
2) Favorably you could say Jenkins was trying to support his team. He felt like Kerr was playing a little dirty pool so he thought he'd match it. But I think we can call it for what it was, a shameless attempt to get Poole suspended.
So Memphis has made themselves look bad basically by a cascading series of errors.
And I'll tell you what. After watching Brooks just vomit up horrendous shots and passes all game long in game 4 it's even changed my thinking a bit on the GP2 foul. I never thought he intended to hurt him, but I did think he intended to take a really hard foul, and that's an incredibly dangerous play to make with the angle he was on and where GP2 was.
Now I'm just kind of a little more open to the idea he's a horrible decision maker without much understanding of his own limitations and he really thought he could block it. Like that block attempt was about as dumb and poorly executed as many of his shots and passes last night.
Goofus (13 ♡):
BATT (Big Ass Train Trip) update: Greetings from NYC! After an overnight train/all day from Chicago through Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and along the Hudson into NYC, we arrived in the Big Apple and spent our first night in a real, stationary bed after four nights in a row sleeping on trains. We’re staying here for 3 nights to visit family and friends before catching a train to Washington DC.
Wishing we could watch tonight’s game at Finnerty’s, but it closed down for good during the pandemic, so we’ll be watching at my brother-in-law’s.
belilaugh (12 ♡):
Season is not on the line tonight, this is a free shot so I'm not as nervous for it. But lose this one though and I'll feel like the season is on the line for Game 6 as I never want to rely on winning a Game 7 on the road. Kinda felt like the season was on the line in Game 4 and that viewing experience was excruciating lol.
So basically, please Warriors, save me some nerves and win tonight with no injuries. Also in the future, let's just get the overall 1 seed so I don't have to worry about road Game 7s.
Trogdor (12 ♡):
I'd really appreciate it if the Warriors close out the series tonight. I'm going camping Friday night and would really prefer not missing a game.
Explain: Steph Curry takes over in…
My heart.
SoCalJusticeWarrior (26 ♡):
Last I’m going to say on the matter:
I hate that the Grizz tried to drag JP's name through the mud when what Ja had was a bone bruise, and they fucking knew knew it. Trash organization, trash coach, trash team, excluding JJJ who did his best to defend his buddy JP while not throwing his team under the bus. Ja's dead to me. Doesn't deserve to be Steph's heir to joyous basketball. Somehow looking forward to dealing with CP3’s bullshit after whatever the hell this was.
Let’s put the kids to bed tomorrow night.
Abaddon (20 ♡):
Full L2m report: https://official.nba.com/l2m/L2MReport.html?gameId=0042100234.
-Two uncalled travels on the Grizzlies
-Dray non-foul on JJJ correctly called
-Bane foul of Steph correctly called
A lot of L here for Jenkins.
The Sword Of The Morning (19 ♡):
Steph's heir is JP.
Trogdor (18 ♡):
Yeah... Now it makes sense why the Grizzlies didn't want to release Ja's diagnosis... Because it sounds actually ridiculous that Poole grabbing it could have caused a bone bruise.
Now if he had it already but wasn't feeling it all that much yet, Poole grabbing it could certainly hurt quite a bit. But yeah... Unless he has super strong hands this *should* put that theory to bed.
ServantOfLuna (16 ♡):
To me, Jenkins is the rotten apple of the barrel. He's the reason why the team's immature. JJJ and Adams are fine IMO, but Jenkins has got to go despite the Grizzlies' regular season record under him.
Marina (16 ♡):
I guess Curious Jenkins got his answer:
Eric Apricot (15 ♡):
At least Ja deleted the tweet, possibly after finding out it was a bone bruise.
It's really sketchy that MEM kept the MRI results hidden and let their completely false accusations against JP stand uncorrected
TwoRingTest (15 ♡):
The Grizz have gone from 'Grit and Grind' to 'Gripe and Whine'
Oaktownws (14 ♡):
Wow eric, 47k views on this, thats alot! “I like food trucks” lol
111k views ! Holy moly Eric! You're an internet sensation (and a deserving one at that)!
paulteen (14 ♡):
Grizzlies fan boards have started calling Dillon Brooks the "Brick Mamba" which I for one love.
Asher B. (14 ♡):
As I said elsewhere:
As we all know, Steph Curry may be a good regular season player, but he does not come up big in the playoffs. Especially not in clutch situations in big games. Just fades...
DrumRollGyro (13 ♡):
From Reddit: “MRI showed Jordan Pooles hand print dented into the bone”
LMAOOOOOO
Warriors grind out a gritty Game 4 vs tough…
Mike Brown becomes first Kings coach to win playoff game in decades
The Sword Of The Morning (34 ♡):
By the way, huge respect to Andrew Wiggins for becoming a rebounding/dirty work machine. Dude's been making all the hustle plays we've needed during this entire series.
Duby Dub Dubs (32 ♡):
For the record, the Warriors are undefeated withme and Mrs. Dubs in attendance
Dip (22 ♡):
We have become so spoilt by these guys. After a win, when we are the only team that has a 3-1 lead, in the Conference Semis, if you read the comments you will be forgiven to think that we may have lost the game or the series.
Some typical complaints are (please don't mind as I am using generic references only):
1. Steph was trash
2. We should talk about Klay
3. Why did we not play Kuminga or Moody more?
4. It was a crap game of basketball
5. The worst game ever
6. Very little to watch except the final score.
Now don't get me wrong. I also lost my cool during the game. I shouted at the computer and everyone thought I am crazy (they may not be too wrong). I also thought this game would be a footnote in this team's failures.
But, like most of you I could not close the game and go elsewhere. And, in the final minute (only in the 48th minute of a 48 minute game) we clawed back and took the first lead. And then, like veterans, we sold a foul, converted the free throws, made the clutch plays, and secured what looked like an improbable win (in the context of the 47 minutes of bricking). It gave me a high and I shouted (again), made up with people I had been cranky with all morning, and said my audible prayers to my God whom I invoked, quite unsportingly! I believe that this team is a champion because they can produce games like this one. All good players can roll with it when the shots are going in. But to grind like this, when all seems lost, when all things falter, but to persevere and say " I am not going to lose today" needs both luck and pluck.
I am glad to have had this experience. And to have a 3-1 lead, no matter how badly we executed the first 47 minutes. I love all of you. Keep the faith! This is going to be our year :)
alv66 (20 ♡):
It appears Memphis fans now hate Dillon Brooks almost as much as Warriors fans do. He really did shoot them out of that game. Thank you Dillon Brooks for your contributions. I would say it makes up for you injuring our player, except it doesn't, so please contribute more in Game 5.
Warriors destroy Grizzlies 142-112 in Game 3…
I TOLD YOU THERE WOULD BE VENGEANCE IN CHASE CENTER!
Arash (31 ♡):
Soo, I play in a pretty competitive basketball rec league and we're currently in the playoffs . . .
And your boy had 12 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals, and a gamewinning block!! Call me baby Dray!!
We're going to the semi finals next week, one step closer to those Cancun tickets baby!!
Eric Apricot (19 ♡):
Congrats to Mike Brown. He’s been a rock for the coaching staff and I hope he makes bank. The 4 year contract is a good idea in case he becomes the scapegoat in a year
belilaugh (16 ♡):
Imo don't judge a fanbase based on a handful of people on social media. The majority of a fanbase is not even on social media, really. I still remember reading the Chronicle sports section in like October 2020 and they polled readers on who they wanted the Warriors to take and the #1 choice was Obi Toppin (which was certainly not the opinion I had seen from Warrior fans online).
Not to mention even on social media, the loudest people who attract the most attention are going to be the ones with the most controversial opinions.
Put another way, imagine how fucked we'd be perception-wise if people judged the Warriors fanbase by bobbita's posts?
PGBreaker (16 ♡):
Thanks for taking the opportunity to brag on Kuminga a bit. The way he's been almost completely ignored in 'best rookie' lists is really baffling so when he had 18 points in 18 minutes in a huge playoff game, I was hoping to see articles giving him some much-needed national recognition. But no, all the pundits want to do is stoke fires of controversy rather than give props. BTW that clip of Morant hurting his knee when attacking Klay on defense Klay ought to be Exhibit 'A'. He was limping on that knee for chrissakes!
DraymondWantsItMore (14 ♡):
Jenkins is turning out to be a Grade A shit-disturber. Not releasing any info about the specifics of Ja's injury or IF he can play but somehow being 100% sure that Poole's light brush of his knee caused it is such BS. The only think I'm nervous about for the rest of this series is someone else doing some dumb shit and getting themselves or us hurt bc their Coach is a petulant child.
GlueAndBold (13 ♡):
I would be surprised if Ja doesn’t play. I don’t trust Memphis.
ServantOfLuna (13 ♡):
I have been told the league office reviewed the Poole/Morant play at the request of the Grizzlies and it has been determined that it was a normal basketball play and no further action will be taken.
Richard (12 ♡):
Sports creates complicated emotions. I find Embiid interesting and fun to watch. So I root for him. Harden on the other hand is horrible, making every basketball game he sets a foot near slow, painful and boring. Luka is an amazing talent and does awesome stuff on the court. But he plays for Dallas. As an ‘80s and ‘90s 49ers fan, I must reject all things Dallas. Plus, it’s in Texas. And then today I was thinking ‘yay go Dallas, crush those nasty little Suns.’ So: complicated.
But: we are humans. We are innately (and inanely) able to keep two (three, four) conflicting truths in our minds at the same time. The only thing you can do is relax, and accept your own imperfect humanity. And know, that in the end, the Hardens, and CP3s, and all LA teams, and all Dallas teams, and all those others who are, in their core, impossibly flawed, will lose to the Dubs.
Plus: soothing, cool ice cream.
Explain (bonus): Steph Curry and Jordan Poole…
A bonus video
Chasing Rings... (8 ♡):
Post blowout win + Explain Bonus + In game comment shout out + Retro Celebration Audit?!?! Just wow, made my day TY EA xx
jeckyllhouse (4 ♡):
happy for Mike & hope the team sends him out with another championship parade
PlainCandleLight (4 ♡):
Swing dance move :
Explain: Warriors confuse Ja Morant Grizzlies…
finally no crazy ending
OGG Gurl (21 ♡):
Oh what a night! Couldn’t have picked a better game to see in person. Thank goodness we won because traffic plus muni was horrendous. We had Memphis fans around us and I did not want to have to deal with obnoxious cheering from them all night, lol. When the Grizz got off to a hot start, I basically said to one of their fans if they can make 100% of their shots, good for you, but it ain’t gonna happen.
I read each of your comments on the game thread and re-lived the whole game. I actually “missed” the Curry/Poole square dance. When I saw it, I felt like the grizzlies and thought what was that? I thought they ran into each other. I’m thrilled forOPJ who had an amazing game. Felt bad for JK with the rough start but I think it was more the team than him individually. When he turned the ball over and fell to the floor, I could feel the frustration and wished I was at floor level so I could tell him it was ok and to keep fighting.
Here’s my quibble with fans at times…I don’t like it when they have the mindset of “I’m not going to cheer because the team hasn’t given me anything to cheer about”. To me, you’re there to uplift the team, especially when things are not going well. That’s when you should be louder and let them hear that you got their back. That’s the true home court advantage.
Phood Fight (19 ♡):
Is there an adult in the room in Memphis? That Walgreens manager that calls himself a coach had a great opportunity to teach and lead his team. He should have encouraged Dillon Brooks to reach out to GP2 and to apologize and take some responsibility for his action publicly. Instead, the entire team (and organization apparently) doubled down on defending Brooks and now they are in a mental tailspin. What they haven't learned about being tough is that it is the strong that can stand up and admit when they are wrong. At this point, they can't defend their own positions, whether words, tweets or the paint. These kids need to go to bed without dessert.
Captain Jack (14 ♡):
Ja and the Grizzlies thought everyone was going to be on their side about the Poole situation but I've never seen the internet more unified on something than them agreeing that Memphis was soft for bitching about that LOL
EyeBlack22 (13 ♡):
Sure, if he’s referring to the part of the play where their knees bumped, that might have caused the injury. But not when JP swiped at the ball and got Ja’s knee instead.
Just another clue that Memphis has already lost the mental battle of this series. Now we just need to close them out on the court.
Richard (12 ♡):
CP3 fouling out with 9 minutes left really puts a smile on my face.
Post game: blooooow out!!
Golden State studied up, and smashed memphis in game three
Eric Apricot (33 ♡):
I just wanted to tell you all I love you
Sabrina420 (27 ♡):
Kendra Andrews
@kendra__andrews
·
7m
Klay Thompson: "Personally, I went through a very tough knee injury, and I just don't think there was any malicious intent from Jordan ... We're not trying to hurt people and trying to club people in the back of there head on a fast break."
Sabrina420 (23 ♡):
StatMuse
@statmuse
The Warriors shot 63/52/91% in Game 3.
They are the 2nd team in NBA history to shoot 60/50/90 in a playoff game, joining the 2001 Sixers.
Their 76.1 TS% tonight is the 2nd highest in NBA history.
ServantOfLuna (21 ♡):
Dr. Brian Sutterer made a video regarding the Morant injury:
-Sutterer says that Morant and Poole's knee colliding with each other is the likely cause of the injury. The collision turned Morant's knee inward and put stress on the inner knee ligaments.
-He further confirms it when he shows a clip of Morant massaging the inner part of his knee. If Poole really did grab and yank Morant's knee, it would injure the OUTER portion of the knee.
-Sutterer mentions about how Morant had knee issues this season before the playoffs started. He also showed a clip when Morant's right knee collided with Klay at the very beginning of the 3rd quarter, which may have hurt Morant's knee along with the knee collision in the 4th quarter.
DrumRollGyro (19 ♡):
It’s gotta be frustrating for Memphis.
The Warriors are tough as hell. They don’t get wound up by a 20-5 run. These guys have beaten Lebron 3 times in the Finals. They’ve beaten into oblivion badass playoff juggernaut teams from the past.
The lame petty online whining and surface-level flexing on the court isn’t going to keep you from having to outplay the Warriors for 48 minutes.
As others have pointed out, this series easily could have been 3-0 already with the warriors shooting like dog shit in the first two games. The bushleague antics had already painted them in a bad light, and the Morant injury has now manifested into a lame attempt at ref retribution (refribution ?) Lebron style because they’re frustrated as hell. The Warriors are frustrating to play because they’re tough and don’t care if you’re hot and feeling yourself… because they’re going to come back and make you do it over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.
Tonight showed what the Dubs can do when they actually hit the good looks their offense generates. End them in 5.
Dilly (18 ♡):
Tonight's blowout win was celebrated with Fudge Tracks ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup and chocolate cake. Loved the level of play the Dubs brought after turning around the 1st quarter. Great game from just about everyone!!
belilaugh (18 ♡):
One down, one to go. Gotta win the next one too or it doesn't matter.
Definitely don't want to see Morant go down especially if it's going to get Poole embroiled in a scandal, but even if he's out this team will be dangerous with Brooks back. They went 20-2 without him (20-5 but I think they were resting multiple guys at the end of the season). People said the Mavs were done without Doncic but they went 2-1 without him, if nothing else the defense becomes a lot more rigid without Doncic or Morant in there.
Win this series for GP2, fuck the Grizzlies.
ndubs (17 ♡):
Aside from the fact that we should crush the grizzlies, I also noticed tonight how great it was to have OPJ and JFK in the mix. JFK was doing his best GP2 impression on offense (or maybe it’s the other way around what wherever) and aside from a few blunders he played all right on D as well. And having OPJ to battle for some board and knock down a few shots is a reminder of the good play days from 4 months ago. D.Lee played all right too, which has got be tough after riding the pine for the last couple months. So a lot to be happy about at the end of the rotations.
Alex (17 ♡):
Can we puhleeeease ask the Grizzly Bear Blues guy if the problem isn't in fact that Ja just doesn't know how to properly absorb contact to his knee?
Dub Nation HQ Comments of Week, plus open…
Week began with thrilling victory, ends with anger and sadness about Gary Payton II's injury
Sabrina420 (13 ♡):
It's mother's day weekend.
There would be no greater gift than two Warriors wins.
And somebody who isn't me making breakfast.
fzwinter (12 ♡):
Suns protested an out of bounds call en masse and then were slow to pick up their defensive assignments so Mavs hit a wide open three off the inbounds pass. CP3 then took out his frustration on the refs instead of realizing that he's turned his entire squad into a bunch of whiners.
Sleepy Freud (11 ♡):
Flurry or no flurry, he’s currently averaging 30.3 pts per 36 on .609 true shooting in the playoffs, which is better by BOTH efficiency and volume than, for example:
Ja (25.1 pts on .527 ts, blehh)
Giannis (28.8, .557)
Tatum (24.3, .602)
Brown (20.6, .581)
Harden (16.9, .574)
KD (21.5, .526)
Kyrie (18.0, .588)
To name a few notables. Our standards for Steph are absurdly high. ;-)
Edit: filled in missing numbers and deleted Luka, who’s been an offensive monster (while being hunted mercilessly on the other end).
Goofus (11 ♡):
He’s getting ready to leave on his (re-scheduled) Big Ass Train Trip; 24 days, 8,500 miles through 33 states on Amtrak. No time to screw with the multiverse.
Sabrina420 (9 ♡):
95.7 The Game
@957thegame
·
10m
Draymond Green on Warriors finding a rhythm:
"I think our offense has been our defense’s biggest problem. You look at the transition opportunities they get off bad shots and turnovers."
jzalvarado (9 ♡):
Whoo Hoo I made another one! Now all I need is about 600 more ‘well liked’ posts to catch up to Sabrina
DFiB (9 ♡):
Man... can we just get some 3pt shooting catharsis tomorrow night? Seeing Steph, Klay, Andrew, and Jordan combine for 7/36 was rough. There were some heat checks, some bad shots, but there were also plenty of good looks that just didn't fall.
Asher B. (9 ♡):
That post right near the end with the stats of how well GPII guards Ja is one of the most painful things to look at right now. Almost as painful as that asshole on TV telling Draymond and by extension all players to "shut up and play." If you missed it, lucky you.
hammystyle (8 ♡):
It's going to be REALLY interesting to see how this team responds. Never been a physically dominant team. You get Michael or Lebron fired up and it's literally giving fuel to a couple of the great athletes to ever live. The Warriors best moments (2015 vs Cavs, 2016 vs Thunder, 2019 vs Rockets) have been the team taking intense competition and rivalry and dominating with skill. The intensity heightens the execution.
They did that in Game 1. They didn't do that in Game 2 (what kept it close was our best athlete Wiggins playing one of the most energetic, physical games of his career.)
I'm pissed. You're pissed. They're pissed. I want this veteran, experienced version to respond with their nastiest barrage of skill yet.
sorry everyone. Decided to go see some music instead of writing. Preview will be up around 9 tomorrow
Listening to ringer podcast, I think people are loosing their mind on how Warriors have no chance. An example:
"Mavs are better because they won RS 3-1. Couple of sentences later, Suns are definitely better than Warriors. So Mavs definitely better than Warriors"
What? Completely forgets that Warriors beat Suns 3-1 in RS.
I am not saying that we handily beat them or even that we will necessarily beat Mavs in series. But people have Luca just crushing Warriors by himself - an unstoppable force, Warriors have nothing to stop him.
Let's prove them wrong, Dubs.