The Golden State Warriors officially closed out their series with the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, securing a 110-96 win on home court to advance to the Western Conference Finals. The Dubs bounced back in a big way after getting blown out of the water in Game 5 and fully proved why they're considered a championship contender.
While Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 59 points, no one was more important than big man Kevon Looney, who got the start at center for the Warriors. He finished with four points and a mind-boggling 22 rebounds, absolutely dominating Memphis on the boards just two days after they killed Golden State inside. Looney took that personally and made sure to respond with authority.
“I felt great,” Looney said. “Exhausted towards the end but I just wanted to go out there and play physical. Last game, we got bullied on the boards, so I took that personal. I wanted to go out there and do my job and set the tone from the beginning of the game. And I was able to get in a zone a little bit, rebounding and make some big plays.”
In case you didn't notice, “I took that personally” is the classic Michael Jordan meme from The Last Dance documentary. Looney rarely has this type of rebounding impact for the Warriors. In fact, he seldom even registers more than 10 boards in a single game. But, he clutched up, helping his squad outrebound the Grizzlies a whopping 70-44 and 25-10 on offensive boards.
Now, the Warriors await their conference finals opponent, which will be either the Phoenix Suns or Dallas Mavericks.
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