Link scored 60 as the Grizzlies crushed the Warriors by 27.
The result of this game sent countless fans into celebration.
People no longer remembered Klay Thompson's outstanding fourth-quarter performance, nor did they care whether the Warriors had been at full strength.
The Grizzlies had brutally demolished the Warriors. That was the only result the fans recognized.
After this game, the Warriors' record stood at 58 wins and 15 losses. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies had ridden a 14-game winning streak to a 66-6 record!
It was not even April yet, and the Grizzlies were already closing in on 70 wins.
The gap between the two teams was nearly 10 games. The Warriors' chances of taking the top spot in the West had become about as likely as winning the lottery.
Whether Warriors fans were willing to accept it or not, this year, the Grizzlies alone had dominated the entire regular season.
And they were highly likely to reach 70-plus wins in a single season for the third time!
On the evening after the game, during a basketball program hosted by O'Neal, Barkley, and Kenny Smith, they all said, "The Grizzlies' emergence has made 70 wins in a season seem less valuable."
"Once upon a time, we only had one 70-win team: the 72-win Bulls. Like most people, I firmly believed that 72 wins in a single season was a record that could never be broken. Even until the Earth was destroyed, there could never be a second team to rack up 70-plus wins." Sitting in the studio, Barkley's mind was filled with memories of the despair of being dominated by Jordan.
"And what happened? In just five years, the Grizzlies are about to post a 70-plus-win season for the third time. That's right—not once, not twice, but a third time!"
Barkley's