The series was tied 1-1, and the brutality of the Western Conference Finals had begun to show.
Whether the Grizzlies or the Warriors ultimately emerged victorious, one thing was certain—they would not make it through easily.
Even the eventual winners would surely be left battered and bruised.
This loss also cooled down the previously jubilant Grizzlies fans.
Yeah, it was not time to celebrate yet, lest their joy turn to sorrow.
The Golden State Warriors had won 67 games this season, after all, and the core lineup that had won 74 games last season remained intact.
These Warriors were no pushovers. They were on a completely different level from the Grizzlies' opponents in the first two rounds.
In the news, people spoke highly of the Warriors' victory.
Durant in particular had been spectacular, with a shooting percentage close to 60%.
Most players shot horribly when matched up against Link. Under Link's defense, maintaining even a normal shooting percentage was difficult, let alone posting an absurdly high one.
But Durant had done it. After all, he was the youngest scoring champion in league history.
In reality, though, most of Durant's shots in the previous game had come after using screens to get matched up against other defenders.
But people did not care about that. They pinned it all on Link.
The Warriors received rare praise, while the Grizzlies were instead drowned in the spit of Warriors fans.
The four young Grizzlies players were undoubtedly criticized the most. Of them, Jokic and Harrell—who had missed a crucial three-pointer and key free throws in the closing moments—were the two "most popular" targets.
"Thanks to Harrell, the Warriors secured a win! If there's a Western Conference Finals MVP, I think Harrell deserves it."
"Nikola Jokic really can't be counted on. He had such a