Grizzlies, Brooks won’t go down quietly vs. Warriors
The national television cameras focused on Dillon Brooks and we could only be so lucky if he had been recording it for his own podcast .
He was walking around the Fedexforum court, talking to anyone and everyone wearing a Golden State Warriors jersey to make sure they knew what the Memphis Grizzlies were doing to them during this 131-110 win Thursday.
To make sure, most of all, Draymond Green knew what he had done, in the wake of Green’s viral tongue lashing of Brooks the day before. Which, of course, was in response to Brooks publicly expressing his distaste for Green.
“That’s what I do. I talk,” Brooks declared during his TNT interview, and then he addressed his antagonist directly.
“You should give the mic to Draymond,” he said walking away. “Make him keep talking about me so I can play better.”
This wasn’t just a stabilizing triumph, on the heels of perhaps the worst road trip the Grizzlies have suffered through, against the team that has rankled them more than any other of late. This was a message sent to everyone – their detractors and their supporters – about this group’s resiliency.
These Grizzlies may be battered by injuries. Their egos may be bruised. They may have too many holes in the roster. They may have bungled last offseason by getting even younger. They may not be able to finish off enough close games in the fourth quarter. Their best player might be gone for an indeterminate amount of time.
They may not be ready to make a long postseason run given all of the mounting turmoil and concerns.
But they will not go down quietly. They will not back down.
They will fight back, however many flaws have been exposed. Just like Brooks did in this latest tangle with Golden State.
So it felt appropriate to see Brooks out-hustle Klay Thompson, swat Stephen Curry’s shot and nestle his face somewhere between the basketball and Green’s hand before halftime, right after Brooks had just stolen another lazy pass by Golden State and scored a left-handed layup right in Green’s grill. It was an intense and unmistakable moment, and emphatic sign than this game would be different than recent ones.
This game, which saw Memphis score 48 points in the first quarter and withstand a couple haymakers from Curry, would at least serve as a stopgap to the emotional tailspin this organization endured during perhaps the worst road trip this team has ever experienced.
It started with Brandon Clarke’s season-ending Achilles injury. It crescendoed with Ja Morant’s decision to go on Instagram Live with a gun while in a Denver-area gentlemen’s club, and the subsequent decision by the Grizzlies to temporarily send him away to get his life in order. It got even worse
ahead of Thursday's tip when it was revealed center Steven Adams may miss the rest of the regular season due to the knee injury that has already sidelined him for six weeks.
But there these Grizzlies were in the fourth quarter, pulling away from Golden State when the bottom looked to be falling out. Coach Taylor Jenkins shortened his rotation in the second half, holding the Warriors at bay after they feasted on the likes of Ziaire Williams and David Roddy during the second quarter. Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones and Brooks all hit big shots.
This had the feel of a postseason preview, and Memphis wasn't going to flinch this time. Just like last year, this is a good matchup for the Grizzlies outside of the mental and maturity edge Golden State still has over Memphis.
“We want to see them in the playoffs,” Brooks said.
They very well could, given the state of the Western Conference standings, and we can only hope the basketball gods give us a rematch.
Because the tit for tat between Brooks and Green continued just as soon as this latest encounter ended. These teams plain don't like each other, and it's so much more fun than a matchup filled with mutual respect.
So Green reiterated this is not a rivalry because the Grizzlies haven't beaten Golden State in a meaningful way yet (even though he conveniently leaves out that Memphis knocked the Warriors out of the play-in tournament in 2021). He also made sure to declare that Brooks couldn't bait him into a technical foul when they got oh-soclose to one another.
Brooks, meanwhile, called himself a better player than Green and emphasized it was a “low blow” for Green to suggest his teammates don't like playing with him. He even included this reference to Green's preseason punch to Jordan Poole: “I ain't out there getting into physical altercations with my teammates.”
Yes, he did get the better of Green this time.
In more ways than one.
Now can you imagine the podcasts another postseason encounter between these two teams would generate?
You can reach Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto via email at mgiannotto@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter: @mgiannotto