This time, it wasn't just Draymond Green who wanted to take down the Grizzlies.
After that unexpected three-game losing streak in early March, the Warriors had been completely left behind by the Grizzlies.
By now, everyone knew that "reclaiming the top spot in the West" had become an empty promise. The Warriors had no chance of making it happen anymore.
The Grizzlies' winning streak in March had indeed displayed their dominance to the fullest.
Whether against weak teams or strong ones, the Grizzlies could secure the win.
With so few regular-season games remaining, overcoming such a huge gap in the standings was practically impossible.
The battle for first place in the West had effectively ceased to exist. The Warriors had lost the competition when they went on that three-game skid.
Were they willing to accept that? Of course not!
As the defending champions, the Warriors had fallen behind the Grizzlies this season in both popularity and record. No defending champion would be happy about something like that.
They had clearly become kings of the world, yet they had not received the treatment kings of the world deserved.
Not everyone could accept that kind of disparity.
It was just that Durant, Green, and the others had louder mouths and traded more barbs with Link, making it seem as though they were the only ones opposing him.
But in truth, Curry, Thompson, Kerr, and everyone else on the Warriors desperately wanted to beat the Grizzlies too.
Now that first place in the West was out of reach, their final regular-season meeting was the Warriors' only chance to salvage some pride.
They would stake the honor, pride, and dignity of the defending champions on this and battle the Grizzlies to the bitter end!
The playoffs? The playoffs were a matter for the playoffs.