MEMPHIS -- It was more competitive than most anticipated -- especially considering this series began with Mike Conley's status uncertain because of a broken face. But, ultimately, it went the way it was supposed to go. The top-seeded Golden State Warriors made shot after shot and defended well enough to eliminate the fifth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
The series lasted six games.
The clincher was Friday's 108-95 win here inside FedExForum.
The star of the series -- and the star of the final game of this series -- was, fittingly, Stephen Curry. The NBA's reigning MVP finished with 32 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in Game 6 while making eight of the 13 3-pointers he attempted. That one of them was from 62-feet will be the lasting moment from a series in which Curry delivered consistently.
Here's what we learned from Warriors-Grizzlies Game 6:
1. STEPHEN CURRY IS AMAZING
This was Curry's first-half highlight ...
This was Curry's second-half highlight ....
Beyond those sequences, Curry, again, did enough to finish with 32 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. He made eight of Golden State's 15 3-pointers. He really is something.
2. TONY ALLEN'S HAMSTRING WOULD NOT COOPERATE
Tony Allen was a difference-maker in Game 2 and inspiration in Game 3 before reaggravating a bad hamstring in Game 4 that limited him to 16 ineffective minutes. The 6-foot-4 guard then missed Game 5 but promised to play Game 6, one way or another. So he tried and actually started. But it was obvious early that Allen had no business on the court, and Memphis coach Dave Joerger had to pull him after five minutes. Memphis was down nine points when Allen left. He never returned. The Grizzlies lost by 13.
3. OUTSIDE SHOOTING DOOMED THE GRIZZ AGAIN
The Grizzlies have made the Western Conference Playoffs five straight seasons and been eliminated, on some level, because of a lack of perimeter shooting each time. Memphis was 4-for-16 (25.0 percent) from beyond the arc in Game 6 and 25-for-92 (27.2 percent) from beyond the arc in the series, meaning Curry (26) actually hit more 3-pointers than the entire Grizzlies roster (25) in these six games. Simply put, you can't succeed in the postseason in today's NBA when you shoot like that from the perimeter. It's something the Grizzlies will have to address before the results can ever equal the aspirations.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS vs. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
Golden State wins series 4-2
| Western Conference Semifinals | ||||||
| Game | Date/Series | Location | Time | TV | ||
| Game 1: Golden State 101, Memphis 86 | Sunday, May 3 | -- | -- | |||
| Game 2: Memphis 97, Golden State 90 | Tuesday, May 5 | -- | -- | |||
| Game 3: Memphis 99, Golden State 89 | Saturday, May 9 | -- | -- | |||
| Game 4: Golden State 101, Memphis 84 | Monday, May 11 | -- | -- | |||
| Game 5: Golden State 98, Memphis 78 | Wednesday, May 13 | |||||
| Game 6: Golden State 108, Memphis 95 | Friday, May 15 | |||||
| *If necessary | ||||||
