On Friday, the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 114-106, winning the first-round playoff series 4-2.
Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks led the Grizzlies offensively, finishing with 23 points apiece.
Bane shot 60% from the field (9-for-15) and 55.6% from 3 (5-for-9) while adding seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Brooks was 47.4% from the field (9-for-19) and shot 83.3% from 3 (5-for-6).
Ja Morant finished with 17 points and a team-high 11 assists to go along with eight rebounds.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke dominated the boards helping the Grizzlies out-rebound the Timberwolves 56-37. Jackson had a team-high 14 rebounds with 18 points, while Clarke brought down 11 rebounds and scored 17 points.
The Timberwolves were front-running throughout most of a tight first half against the Grizzlies, leading 29-28 after the first quarter before taking a three-point advantage, 52-49, into the halftime break.
Minnesota separated themselves from Memphis late in the third, going on a 10-2 run to end the quarter to take an 84-74 lead into the final stanza.
The Grizzlies would come alive in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Timberwolves 40-22.
Minnesota fended off Memphis through more than half of the fourth quarter before a Brooks 3-pointer tied the game at 97 with just over five minutes to go. From that point on, the Grizzlies outscored the Timberwolves 17-9.
With over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Bane hit a 3-pointer giving the Grizzlies a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The Grizzlies move on to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, where they’ll match up against the Golden State Warriors.
Memphis will host Golden State for Game 1 on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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