Golden State’s three dynamic guards – Steph Curry, Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson – combined for 78 points as the Warriors’ attack lightened the Grizzlies’ defenses.
Curry scored 30, Thompson scored 21 while Poole – enjoying a breakout season – scored 27 points on the bench.
In their 142 point performance, the Warriors shot 63.1% from the field — the second-best in NBA history after the season.
“If we trust each other and we just hit the open man, we’ll have so many great shots that we’re capable of nights like this,” Thompson told media.
The win gives the Warriors a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series.
‘Break the code’
For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant finished as top scorer with 34 points, despite missing the final six minutes of the game after being left with an apparent knee injury.
Morant — who delivered a blistering 47-point performance in Game 2 — left the game after appearing to squeeze his right knee when Poole twisted it as he reached for a loose ball.
With 6:19 to play in the fourth quarter, Morant could be seen stumbling into the locker room. Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said he was undergoing further tests to evaluate the injury.
After the match, Morant tweeted a clip of the incident with the caption, “Broke the code.” The tweet was later deleted.
Brooks was then ejected after being judged for a blatant foul-2 – described in the NBA contact rulebook deemed “unnecessary and excessive” – on Payton II and suspended for Game 3.
Jenkins said Poole “grabbed his knee and pulled on it”, but Poole denied intentionally hurting his opponent.
“I hit the ball and I went for the ball. Of course you don’t want anyone to get hurt. I’m not even that type of player. I respect everyone,” he said.
“Hopefully he gets better, and we can see him the next game there. I don’t even play like that in real life. That’s not my type (of) game.”
Down to the wire
The Milwaukee Bucks narrowly defeated the Boston Celtics 103-101 in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, largely in part due to a dominant performance by Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Bouncing off an atypical poor display in Game 2 in Boston, Antetokounmpo scored 42 points, including making the lead with 44.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
The Celtics had made a spirited comeback to set up a thrilling final, but two-time MVP wrestled back control for the defending NBA champions.
But it was a nerve-wracking end for the Bucks as Celtics tipped in from Al Horford at the buzzer that had come just after the clock hit zero, meaning the Bucks have a 2-1 lead at their best. -of-seven series.
“There will be struggles, but in the end if you go through with it and you stick with it and you stay on track, you will succeed,” Antetokounmpo said. “If you don’t stay on track, you won’t make it. It’s that simple.”
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Horford added 22 points and 15 rebounds.
The teams will face each other Monday night for Game 4 in Milwaukee.