Golden State Warriors: Keys to a 2nd Round Victory

April 20, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard

(30) celebrates during the fourth quarter in game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Pelicans 97-87. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors, have been waiting to see who their second round opponent would be since Saturday. And now the wait is over.

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It’s official, the Warriors will play the Memphis Grizzles. The series begins Sunday in Oakland, as the Warriors look to defend their home court and set the tone of the series with a victory. However, Golden State has not had an overwhelming amount of success against the Grizzles in recent years, despite taking the season series this year 2-1.

Now, it’s the playoffs and Memphis has stepped up and has taken their game to a new level. The Grizzlies will be looking keep rolling after their five-game series win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Warriors are already being counted out by fans and “experts” around the league, but it seems to stretch credulity to suggest that Golden State is the underdog in this series.

With that said, lets look at some keys to winning a seven game series against the Grizzles.

Next: Key #1: Contain Gasol and Randolph