The Golden State Warriors sought to rebound from a disheartening home loss to the New York Knicks on Monday night. The Warriors couldn’t afford to lose to a weakened Memphis Grizzles club, especially with the Houston Rockets closing in on them for the 10th seed in the Western Conference.
Thanks to a strong third quarter, the hosts drew away from Memphis, winning 137-116 and improving to 36-32 on the season.
A solid offense pushed the Golden State Warriors to a 21-point win over the Memphis Grizzlies, but there was still some reason for concern.
Despite Stephen Curry’s 14 points, the Warriors won because to a solid, team-oriented offensive performance in which they shot 58% from the field and 48.7% from three-point range. Here are the three main conclusions from the contest:
This game was won with an explosive run late in the first half and into the third quarter. A 22-0 run appeared to deflate the once-confident Grizzlies. At one point, Santi Aldama had things going and the game was deadlocked, but Golden State grabbed control with a 33-6 run.
It felt like classic third-quarter Warriors, going out of transition and making jumpers. Not to mention, the run allowed the Warriors to enjoy their large lead and avoid another crucial time game. Too many Golden State leads have evaporated this season, so it was refreshing to see them maintain a comfortable lead throughout the second half.
Steve Kerr and the coaching staff will not be pleased with the Warriors’ three-point defense in this game. If you’re watching Golden State and thinking that the opposition team is shooting lights out, you’re not alone. Too often, it appears that the Warriors overhelp and are then scrambling and out of place during rotations, leaving the three-point line open.
Memphis, which came into the game as one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the NBA, started the first quarter strong from behind the arc. Aldama had six of them in the first half alone, totaling 21 points. Kerr seemed frustrated when Kuminga gave up the sixth, instantly calling timeout. The rest of the game saw a much stronger effort from the Dubs, with the Grizzlies shooting 18 of 49 from beyond the arc. However, it remains a concern for the rest of the season.
Strong Offensive Night
It would be remiss not to notice how impressive the Warriors looked on offense tonight. They took advantage of a porous Memphis defense, with Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins especially impressive. Chris Paul handed up 14 assists, Klay Thompson looked good on his way to 23 points, and Trayce Jackson Davis was dominant at getting to the basket. Curry just needed to take nine shots in his 24 minutes. Overall, the Warriors scored 137 points, made 19 three-pointers, had 43 assists, had seven players in double digits, and committed only seven total turnovers. On the offensive end, it was a near-perfect night.
