May 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) scores against Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) during the second quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors look to grab a 2-0 lead as they host Game 2 at the Oracle Arena against the Memphis Grizzlies. This game won’t be as easy with the return of starting point guard, Mike Conley. On a special night, Stephen Curry will hoist the 2014-15 MVP trophy in front of the Warriors fans. Last time out, the Warriors easily beat the Grizzlies, 101-86.
1st Quarter
Zach Randolph and the Memphis Grizzlies were first to get on the board, but Steph Curry and Klay Thompson responded with a bucket each. Mike Conley quickly made his presence felt with five straight points, which gave the Grizzlies the lead. It was the Conley and Randolph show in the first five minutes of the quarter and the Warriors were down 14-8. The Warriors were cold offensively and for the first time all postseason, they were being outplayed. The two teams traded baskets as the quarter was winding down and the Grizzlies went up by as much as eight. A Jeff Green bucket put Memphis up by 11, but the Warriors found some life at the end of the quarter and went on a 9-4 run to cut the lead to 28-22.
#MVP pic.twitter.com/4IS79B2U46
— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) May 6, 2015
2nd Quarter
Leandro Barbosa was a one man wrecking crew to start the quarter. He scored six straight points for the Dubs and the Warriors were only down two. With the exception of two Marreese Speights free throws, the Warriors went cold for about five minutes. The Grizzlies on the other hand scored just enough to retain their lead. The Warriors were down by six and Mike Conley looked hid old self. The pace was slower and Conley was responsible for that. After a time out, the Warriors scored an easy bucket. However, the shots were not falling, especially for Klay Thompson. With two minutes left in the quarter, the Warriors had only scored 35 points. Finally, after a quiet first half, Oracle Arena was finally back into it when Curry scored a nice reverse layup, followed by a Green bucket. The Grizzlies came back with a 9-0 run to end the half, they were up 50-39
Steph Curry with the nice layup. https://t.co/ybxbvWV2EC — Alex Torres (@alextorresww) May 6, 2015
3rd Quarter
Andrew Bogut got two buckets close to the basket and it looked like the Warriors were coming back. The Grizzlies were quick to stop their run and hit their open jumpers. It was a 9-6 run from Memphis, which put them up by 14. Buckets from their big men Gasol and Randolph got up 16, which was the largest lead of the game. A 5-0 run from the Warriors cut the lead to nine. The teams traded baskets and the Grizzlies maintained their lead. The Warriors found some energy at the end of the quarter, but were only able to cut the deficit to eight.
4th Quarter
Randolph once again starts a quarter with a bucket and Barbosa replicates his second quarter performance. This pace was favoring the Grizzlies because they actually were keeping up with the Dubs. The Warriors would get it down to seven, but the Grizzlies would always respond. Turnovers were a problem too. Careless mistakes prevented the Warriors from going on a run. You have to give credit to the Grizzlies, they hit tough buckets. The Warriors had one last opportunity for a comeback, but once again they couldn’t hit enough baskets. Mike Conley closed the deal with a triple to seal the deal for the Grizzlies. He was the difference. Series now tied at 1-1.
20 turnovers for Golden State — warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) May 6, 2015