The Memphis Grizzlies are widely viewed as contenders for the 2021-22 NBA championship. They finished as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, being spearheaded by star point guard Ja Morant.
Due to their status as a contending team, many people expected them to win against the Minnesota Timberwolves at home. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves ended up pulling off an upset, stunning the home crowd in Memphis. They were led by Anthony Edwards, who put up 36 points in the win. Anthony Edwards has previously claimed that no team in the Western Conference wants to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs, and he showed why today.
I’m super confident in my team. I think we’re the team in the West that don’t nobody want to see. I think we got that quiet team, super talented. You don’t know what you’re gonna get on any given night.
Like I might come out score 50. Or D-Lo might go score 50, or KAT might score 50. Then if KAT score 50, I score 30, D-Lo score 20, that’s a crazy game. You don’t know what you’re gonna get any given night, so that’s why we’re scary.
After the game, many NBA fans roasted the Memphis Grizzlies for losing to the lower-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, with some people throwing doubt on their status as a legitimate contender for the NBA championship.
Minnesota takes a 1-0 series lead vs. Memphis. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/hTGgsskt5Y
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 16, 2022
While some may be tempted to write off the Memphis Grizzlies after their loss at home, it is quite possible that they will bounce back. Unlike the play-in tournament, the playoffs are decided via a series rather than single-elimination, so the Grizzlies will have a chance to redeem themselves soon.
With that being said, the Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t a team that should be taken lightly. They have a fair amount of star power with Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Anthony Edwards on the roster, and they have shown that they won’t simply give up.
We’ll have to wait to see who comes out on top between the Timberwolves and the Grizzlies. What’s certain is that this is likely to be an exciting series, which is good news for every NBA fan.
