2022 NBA Playoffs Live Updates: Grizzlies, Warriors Fight In Game 3

It looked to me like Ja Morant’s knee started to bother him after a layup attempt on the 7:32 attempt where he landed a bit awkwardly.

You could see him trying to shake it off when he attempted free throws 30 seconds later.

After a few moments on the bench with the Memphis coach, Ja Morant limps back to the locker room with a towel over his head.

The only person in the building who hasn’t been kicked out of this series is Marcus Thompson.

The ejection quota has been reached. One in each game up to three.

Game 1: Draymond Green. Game 2: Dillon Brooks. Game 3: Kyle Anderson.

Another 25 points for Jordan Poole tonight on 10 of 14 on the field.

His first eight career playoff games: 22.6 points on 57% total shooting, 47% on 3.

The Grizzlies need to find someone in their second group who can guard Jordan Poole. Tyus Jones is clearly not that guy.

It could actually be a case for John Konchar to get a run, except the second group is already so hungry that I’m not sure Memphis can afford to have him there offensively.

Taylor Jenkins decides to start the fourth quarter with Morant and Jackson Jr. on the ground.

They had 38 in second, 37 in third. Get virtually anything they want. Balanced attack.

Steph Curry leads the team with 23 points and has only 3. Klay has 18, Wiggins 17, Poole 16, Porter 10.

Ja Morant has 30 in 30 minutes of action. But the Grizzlies were down 21 points entering the fourth. Interesting move by Taylor Jenkins.

Do they sit him during his normal rest and risk the game getting out of hand? The Grizzlies are plus-12 when Morant sits.

Or does he push it and see if they can get back into this game? Memphis has already come out of big holes.

Am I wrong to hope and pray that Golden State and Phoenix can qualify for, say, the later rounds of the playoffs without significant injuries?

Seriously, if it’s wrong, tell me.

With this game quickly spiraling out of control, Memphis might be wise to bring Steven Adams into action.

He could still be a factor in the rest of this series.

The Grizzlies don’t like playing 5-year-old Jackson because he racks up fouls so quickly, but they’re on fire with Tillman in the middle and don’t have enough offense to respond.

They need to bring Melton and Clarke into this game yesterday, and need to give serious thought to changing the frontcourt rotation to be smaller for Game 4.

The Warriors are shooting 31 of 43 – 72%.

The points in the paint are currently Warriors 32, Grizzlies 16.

Although Ja Morant gets everything he wants inside, the Warriors have owned the paint in this series with 56 in Game 1 and 60 in Game 2.

At this point, the battle in the paint: Warriors 148, Grizzlies 102 with around 22 minutes left in Game 3.

It’s a quick 8-0 run out of the Warriors locker room.

Some Klay Thompson sweaters. It’s the best he’s ever seen. Otto Porter Jr. is now plus-24 in 16 minutes, a plus-43 in 60 minutes this series.

Otto Porter Jr. starts the second half in place of Jonathan Kuminga.

Porter is coming off his better half of the playoffs.

At 19 years and 213 days, Kuminga is the youngest player to start a playoff game since at least 1970-71.

The Warriors end the half with 70.3%.

They are 26 out of 37 in the field – only 11 misses – including 6 out of 10 out of 3.

The Grizzlies are in this game because of 11 threes in the first half. They have now made 41 in 10 quarters.

As everyone expected, the Grizzlies made 23 3-point attempts in the first half and the Warriors took just 10.

This is actually a major win for the Warriors; they forced Grizzlies not named Bane to take 20 of those 3.

Meanwhile, Golden State only needed a few 3-point attempts because they get so many easy chances at the rim.