Energised Grizzlies ready for the fight

MEMPHIS • The Memphis Grizzlies are likely to be without Ja Morant, their best player, for the remainder of the play-offs after the All-Star guard was injured in a tussle in Game 3.

No matter. Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr and Tyus Jones all tallied 21 points and sank four three-pointers each as the hosts steamrolled the Golden State Warriors 134-95 in Game 5 of their National Basketball Association (NBA) Western Conference semi-final series on Wednesday night.

Memphis are still facing another elimination game as they travel to San Francisco for Game 6 today but they remain confident of tying the series at 3-3 and forcing a deciding Game 7.

The Grizzlies have plenty of experience winning without Morant this season, going 21-6 in his absence, and Wednesday's blowout victory offered more proof of their resilience.

They led by as many as 55 points, and the 39-point margin - the largest in the team's post-season history - tied for the third-largest victory when facing play-offs elimination, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Klay Thompson scored 19 points, Jonathan Kuminga had 17 and Stephen Curry added 14 for the Warriors, who committed 22 turnovers while their opponents had just nine.

Even with Morant out, Memphis made a franchise play-off record 18 three-pointers and the youngest team in the play-offs are ready to go toe-to-toe with one of the most experienced rosters.

"I'd say we are energised," Dillon Brooks, who had 12 points, said. "We're locked in, and we're all eyes on Game 6. Try to keep surviving."

Bane added: "We feel like we have not necessarily been doubted but we have exceeded expectations.

"Ever since I have been here, it almost seems like whenever somebody thinks we can't do something, we end up doing it. I never want to put a limit on this team on what we can do, because anything's possible."

The Warriors will attempt to regroup on home court today. "It was awful," said Thompson. "It was embarrassing. From the opening tip, they had great flow, and they were more aggressive than us...

"We all had the mindset that we were going to close it out tonight, but sometimes, basketball [ISN'T]isn't an exact science, and we played like a shell of ourselves.

"It doesn't feel good losing by as much as we did. But in a day, it's just a loss. You flush it from your mental, and you remind yourself who you are. And we're going to play with a 100 per cent effort on Friday. I like our chances."

In the East, the Milwaukee Bucks erased a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to beat Boston 110-107 and push the Celtics to the brink of elimination from the play-offs.

It came down to the wire in Boston, where Finals Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 40 points and Bobby Portis and Jrue Holiday also came up big late on as the reigning NBA champions rallied to take a 3-2 lead in their semi-final series.

Game 6 now moves to Milwaukee today and Boston's rookie coach Ime Udoka is fearful his team may have blown their chances after failing to hold on to their 98-90 lead with just 7min 34sec to play.

"We talked about showing our resolve, and we made it tougher on ourselves now," he said.

"We gave up a golden opportunity tonight."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS