Zach Edey's Statement After Crucial Grizzlies-Warriors Game

After the game, Edey talked about the defensive matchups, which were more oriented toward forcing threes. The Warriors took 43 three-pointers to Memphis' 26; however, the Grizzlies knocked them down at a 46.2% rate compared to Golden State at 34.9%.

“Yeah, definitely the matchups were related to them taking some threes," Edey said. "I’m okay with that if it means I’m in the paint taking away layups or taking away other guys' threes. Sometimes those are the matchups that will live.”

Despite being just 22 years old, Edey already has plenty of experience in high-stakes basketball games. The 7-foot-4 center went to the NCAA Tournament in all four years with the Purdue Boilermakers, including a National Championship appearance last season. He talked about the difference between a regular-season game and a postseason game in the NBA.

“At the end of the day, it’s still just basketball," Edey said. "It’s not a different sport, it’s not nothing I’ve played. It’s the same game I’ve played all year, same team we’ve played with all year. In the past, obviously every possession matters, but every game is super important. I think that’s the big difference but that’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”