{"id":47258,"date":"2022-05-10T15:33:06","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T19:33:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=47258"},"modified":"2022-05-11T15:59:14","modified_gmt":"2022-05-11T19:59:14","slug":"how-the-golden-state-warriors-won-game-four","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2022\/05\/10\/how-the-golden-state-warriors-won-game-four\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Golden State Warriors Won Game Four"},"content":{"rendered":"

This was ugly.<\/span><\/p>\n

This was physical, full of mistakes, missed shots, and miscues. The game plan couldn\u2019t have resembled how the Warriors won Game Four. For the sake of Kings fans everywhere let’s hope not, anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mike Brown was the substitute coach for the Warriors after Steve Kerr was placed in health and safety protocols. The new head coach in Sacramento led the team to a win, but this was not a triumph. The Warriors won Game Four in the face of tenacious Grizzlies defense and were fortunate <\/span>Ja Morant<\/b><\/a> was unable to play. There are no style points in the postseason, however. A three-point kayak through a choppy river counts the same as a 30-point cruise, as <\/span>Sea Captain<\/span><\/a> Klay Thompson<\/b><\/a> might say. Here\u2019s how the Warriors won Game Four and sealed their commanding 3-1 series lead.<\/span><\/p>\n

How the Golden State Warriors Won Game Four<\/h2>\n

Strong defense<\/b><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s impossible to complement the Warriors\u2019 defensive performance without again mentioning Morant\u2019s absence. The Warriors defended Morant well in Game Three, utilizing a variety of schemes and defenders. They ran a 1-2-2 zone in the first quarter to disrupt Memphis\u2019 rhythm, then stayed disciplined and forced Morant to his weaker right hand. It was a vast improvement over Game Two. Morant still <\/span>finished<\/span><\/a> with 34 points on incredible efficiency and added seven assists.<\/span><\/p>\n

Credit the Warriors for taking advantage of Morant\u2019s absence, then. They conceded a number of size mismatches against this Memphis team but fought well without excessive fouling. The Warriors won Game Four by ensuring the Grizzlies couldn\u2019t create threes without their <\/span>primary shot creator<\/span><\/a>. Memphis\u2019 <\/span>9-35 shooting from three<\/span><\/a> (just 26%) meant they could never take full advantage of their own stifling defense. There was no fear of facing a 20-point lead against Morant-less Memphis, as they couldn\u2019t sustain a threatening scoring run. The game essentially being decided by <\/span>Draymond Green<\/b><\/a>\u2019s block of a <\/span>Jaren Jackson Jr.<\/b><\/a> three-point attempt was a fitting end.<\/span><\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>