The Golden State Warriors lost an instant classic to the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 2 of their second-round matchup in the NBA playoffs. By a score of 106-101, they lost their lead in the series.

The Warriors took the lead with just over two minutes left before completely falling apart on offense. They failed to slow down Ja Morant, who scored 15 points in the last four and a half minutes. Although Stephen Curry had 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and Jordan Poole had 20 points and five assists off the bench, the Warriors failed to take Game 2.

It's impossible to pinpoint the loss on an individual, as the game was very close and no single player can take the blame in a team game. The Warriors as a team failed to take advantage of Jaren Jackson Jr.'s foul trouble, as they had success in the paint in the fourth quarter but opted to fire away from deep instead. Over the whole game, they shot just 7-38 from downtown.

However, two players — one of which isn't a Warrior — stand out as reasons why Golden State lost to Memphis.

2 people most to blame for Warriors blowing prime opportunity in Game 2 vs. Grizzlies

1. Dillon Brooks

Not even three minutes into the game, Dillon Brooks changed everything for the Warriors' game plan. His hard foul on Gary Payton II knocked him out of the game and possibly longer into the NBA playoffs. The Grizzlies forward was ejected but Payton's absence was much more detrimental for his team.

Without their best Morant stopper, the Warriors could only watch as Morant torched them for 47 points. Although Morant still had 34 points and a near triple-double in Game 1 against a healthy Payton, not having the defensive stalwart changed what the Warriors needed to do and left them without someone who had at least half a shot of staying in front of Morant in crunch time.

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Brooks will be showered with boos at the Chase Center. Although he certainly had a part in the Warriors' demise, he was far from the main culprit. Golden State had players that failed to step up.

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2. Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson had a game to forget in Game 2. He shot just 5-19, including 2-12 from deep. In 41 minutes, he contributed just 12 points, three assists, three steals and two rebounds. For a guy who is used to going crazy in the NBA playoffs, this performance was extremely disappointing.

In the fourth quarter, Thompson was brutal. He hit just one of his four shots in the final period. On one of the Warriors' last chances to tie the game, he traveled. Simply put, he had himself a very poor game. After being the hero that gave the Dubs the late lead in Game 1, he had a miserable shooting night.

The Warriors can ill-afford to have the player that takes the most triples in any given game convert on just 16 percent of them. With the entire team shooting as poorly as it did (which was not all Thompson's fault), Thompson's overall poor shooting was too much to overcome. Aside from his heroic shot in Game 1, this series has not been very kind to him.