The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Golden State Warriors 133-119 on Saturday, extending their road losing run to 11 games.
In what has been a fairly common story in Warriors road games throughout the season, the Dubs found themselves playing from behind after the Grizzlies got off to a scorching offensive start. Memphis posted an elite 73.3% eFG% in the first half, leading 71-59 at the half.
In the words of our own Joe Viray, some of that can be attributed to good shooting luck for the Grizzlies, but the Warriors’ defense surely bares some responsibility at well.
Warriors at the half @ MEM
Possessions: 48
ORTG: 122.9
DRTG: 147.9Grizzlies can't miss. 73.3% eFG (99th percentile). Some of that is variance, some of it is the Dubs' defense (or lack thereof).
— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) March 19, 2023
The Warriors went on a run to start the third quarter, pulling within four points before the Grizzlies responded with a run of their own. Jonathan Kuminga was huge off the bench, scoring 20 points in his first 15 minutes of action. He finished the game with 24 points.
But again, there’s only so much a team can do without consistent defense. The Warriors have been abysmal guarding the three-point line all season long on the road, and until that changes, Golden State’s championship potential seems futile. There’s obviously still time for that to change, but the 2022-23 Warriors have not given fans a lot of reason to believe.
Golden State pulled within three points early in the fourth quarter but were unable to hit the big shot they needed to tie things up. A scoring drought that lasted more than four minutes enabled the Grizzlies to build a 20-point lead. Both teams pulled their starters with more than three minutes left in regulation.
Steph Curry had his worst performances in several games, finishing with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists on 5-for-15 shooting from the field. Jordan Poole scored 21 points on 11 shots from the field but committed four turnovers. No one else on the Dubs scored at least 15 points.
For Memphis, Jaren Jackson Jr. was a star, finishing with a game-high 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Desmond Bane added 26 points while Xavier Tillman and Tyus Jones also recorded double-doubles.
The Warriors are .500 once again, now 36-36 with 10 games remaining in the regular season. They now head to Houston to face the Rockets on Monday at 5:00 PM Pacific.
Source: https://www.goldenstateofmind.com
