MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Mike Conley refuses to view Friday's showdown as a preview of the Western Conference finals, but the Memphis Grizzlies point guard believes the road to a championship runs through the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors are a league-best 58-13 and closing in on the best regular-season finish in franchise history. But the only team Golden State has yet to beat this season is Memphis, which has the second-best record in the West at 50-22 and won the lone previous matchup between the teams in December.
Conley sees the Warriors as the heavy favorites when the playoffs start.
"You figure if you get out of the first and second round, you're going to run into a team like Golden State, and they've been pretty much the team to beat all season," Conley said. "I haven't seen that waver at all. So it has to be in your mind that you have to go through the best to get what you want."
Friday marks the second of three meetings between the top two teams in the West, with the Grizzlies and Warriors wrapping up their season series April 13 at Golden State. Conley was among several players and coaches who downplayed the significance of Friday's game, other than it being a chance for Memphis to quickly rebound from Wednesday's debacle against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Grizzlies held individual meetings and a film session in advance of Thursday's practice, looking to regroup from their worst home loss in two seasons -- a 111-89 setback to the Cavaliers. Memphis badly stumbled at the start of a three-game stretch the team widely welcomed as a stiff test that would simulate the schedule and competition level of a playoff series.
But Memphis' third-rated defense surrendered its most points since Jan. 3 in the loss to Cleveland, which totaled 30 assists, shot 51.2 percent and knocked down 14 shots from 3-point range. After Friday's game against Golden State, the Grizzlies visit the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
The Warriors arrive having won seven in a row and 12 of their past 13 but were also streaking the last time they came to in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies used a 20-0 run to start the second quarter and never trailed again in a 105-98 win Dec. 16 for their 12th victory against Golden State in their past 14 meetings.
Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger suggested there isn't much that resonates from that game because both teams are much different now. The Grizzlies have since acquired Jeff Green in a January trade and the Warriors were then dealing with injuries and were without David Lee.
"We haven't seen each other but once all year," Joerger said of the Warriors. "We've obviously been chasing them, but it's difficult to catch them in the regular season. For us, we're just trying to put together some consistent performances. After [Wednesday night], we want to play well." A month ago, the Grizzlies were 41-14 just after the All-Star break and had pulled to within three games of catching the Warriors atop of the standings. But Memphis has since gone 9-8 amid a combination of nagging injuries to Conley, an illness that temporarily sidelined Zach Randolph and rotation tweaks.
Joerger still seems unsettled on whom to start long term at shooting guard and small forward among Green, Tony Allen and Courtney Lee. Schedule fatigue might have also been a factor during a mediocre stretch for Memphis, which played 19 games over a span of 32 days after returning from the break.
"We're going to have to not let this game be bigger than what it is. I thought that's what we did [Wednesday in a loss to the Cavs]. We have to be ready to embrace the challenge as opposed to getting caught up in the hoopla, getting all anxious. Just accept the game for what it is and be ready to compete for 48 minutes."Tony Allen
"We're still experimenting," Conley said. "Overall, our focus never wavers. You have stretches where you can get a little relaxed. We went through a stretch when we played a lot of games in a short period of time. Mentally, it was draining -- a lot of stress. We're fighting our way through it, fighting our way back. We played good basketball until [Wednesday] night."
Randolph, who had just five points and three rebounds in 20 minutes against Cleveland, said there wasn't too much time to sulk after an embarrassing loss in which the Grizzlies missed 24 shots in the lane, including 19 layups, according to Joerger.
"You've got to put it behind you -- like [Wednesday] night, you dealt with it, and [Thursday] morning," Randolph said. "This is the NBA. You've got another tough team coming up. We've got to look at it like that and get better. Keep playing. We know what we've got to do."
That process includes trying to contain another top MVP candidate for the second time in 72 hours. Two days after LeBron James contributed to a balanced effort that saw five Cavaliers score in double figures, the Grizzlies now brace for Stephen Curry -- the marquee playmaker on the league's best team.
In addition to better defending the perimeter and 3-point line, Allen believes Memphis must make a psychological adjustment to be more prepared Friday than was the case entering Wednesday's game.
We're going to have to not let this game be bigger than what it is," Allen said. "I thought that's what we did [Wednesday]. We have to be ready to embrace the challenge as opposed to getting caught up in the hoopla, getting all anxious. Just accept the game for what it is and be ready to compete for 48 minutes."
Allen was then asked about Curry's MVP candidacy this season. Naturally, he grew defensive. "I ain't worried about nobody being MVP, honestly," Allen shot back. "I'm worried about the Grizzlies bouncing back from this beatdown we had." And that's ultimately the reason the Grizzlies declined to take a long view on possibly meeting the Warriors with a trip to the Finals on the line. There's still too much to address and correct right now.
You try not to think about it," Conley said of the current top teams in the West potentially reuniting in May. "I would love to get to the Western Conference finals, but we've got to take it one step at a time. We know Golden State is that good and they'll be around."