The Memphis Grizzlies fought back to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves and win their play-off series after overturning a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to win 114-106 and take the best-of-seven series 4-2.
Anthony Edwards had 16 of his 30 points in the first quarter for Minnesota. Jaden McDaniels had 24 points off the bench, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 10 rebounds. Morant went 4 for 14 from the field and had 17 points and 11 assists.
With the Grizzlies already the first team in NBA history to win multiple games in the same playoff series by erasing a double-digit-point fourth-quarter deficit, the here-we-go-again feeling was palpable in the building as an 84-74 lead for the Wolves at the third-quarter break quickly vanished.
Bane and Brooks each hit tying 3-pointers midway through the fourth, and Brooks fouled out just 26 seconds after his evened the score at 97.
Bane then swished another one from deep at 3:03 for a 101-99 lead, the first for the Grizzlies since they were up 39-38.
The second-seeded Grizzlies will face the third-seeded Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semi-finals, which begin on Sunday.
It is the first time in seven years that the Grizzlies have advanced beyond the play-offs.
“We stick together, stay on the same page, and I think it really showed on the big stage this series,” Bane said.
Elsewhere, the Philadelphia 76ers suffered a huge injury blow as Joel Embiid was sidelined indefinitely.
Embiid, one of the leading candidates for the Most Valuable Player, suffered a right orbital bone fracture and a mild concussion during Friday’s win over the Toronto Raptors.
The centre will miss at least the first game of the Eastern Conference semi-final series against the Miami Heat.
Embiid previously missed three weeks of the season in 2018 with a similar injury.
