What we learned as Warriors beat Grizz to stay undefeated in NBA Cup originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Matching the energy of Tuesday night simply wasn’t going to happen three days later at Chase Center.
The air in the building throughout Klay Thompson’s return was that of an NBA playoff atmosphere. The mood Friday night buffered as often as millions streaming a spectacle of a 58-year-old pigeon fiend fighting a cartoon character cosplaying as a boxer.
A letdown game certainly was on the table. Instead, the Warriors fought off early shooting struggles and outlasted the Ja Morant-less Memphis Grizzlies, 123-118.
Steph Curry in his previous two games scored a total of 73 points and made 12 3-pointers. The Grizzlies made it a point to face-guard Curry wherever he went, which led to him scoring just 13 points in 26 minutes. Curry only took nine shots, going 4 of 9 overall and 3 of 7 on threes. But he did add eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.
As the Warriors made 19 threes and had a 41.3 3-point percentage, the Grizzlies only made seven, with a lowly 16.7 3-point percentage. The Warriors also won the bench battle, 67-61.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors improving to 10-2, as well as 2-0 in the NBA Cup.
Draymond From Downtown
On a night where Curry isn’t an inferno, every point counts. Especially from Draymond Green, and even more so behind the 3-point line.
Green missed his first two 3-point attempts in the first quarter and didn’t try once in the second. But in the third, he connected on 2 of 4 shots from long distance. That isn’t exactly a heater, but historically it is a big deal for Green and Golden State as a whole.
Back-to-back threes early in the third quarter by Green gave the Warriors an 11-point lead on both makes. It also pushed his streak of hitting multiple threes to four consecutive games, matching a career high. How big of a deal is that? The Warriors now are 140-30 all time in the regular season when he makes two or more 3-pointers in a game.
This past season, Green shot a career-high 39.5 percent on 3-pointers. After going 3 of 7 against the Grizzlies, Green now is shooting 45.2 percent beyond the arc this season, making 19 of 42 attempts.
Tough Luck For Waters
The Warriors on Thursday received a blow from the injury bug when it was announced De’Anthony Melton sustained a sprained left ACL. Coach Steve Kerr in his pregame press conference said there still isn’t a timetable for Melton’s return, but he’s expected to miss at least a chunk of games. Then during the second quarter Friday night, the Warriors again were bitten by the pest of an injury.
Lindy Waters III received his second start of the season, stepping in for Melton, and scored five points in the first quarter. His 3-pointer from the corner marked the Warriors’ first three points of the night.
With two minutes remaining in the first half, Waters was up to eight points and had made two threes. He also had a great block, but the result saw him on the ground and out for the game. Waters jumped off two feet to meet Santi Aldama at the rim to block him off the backboard. But when he landed, Waters’ left leg buckled and he immediately grabbed his left knee. Waters rolled on the floor to get out of the play while writhing in pain.
After being down for a little while and being tended to by trainers, Waters got up and jogged down the tunnel without assistance, but with a slight limp. During halftime, the Warriors announced he was out for the rest of the game with what was diagnosed as a left knee hyperextension.
Brandin Podziemski started the second half in Waters’ place.
Play Of The Game
Scratch that. Play of the year? From a purely highlight standpoint, it has to be.
Heart and hustle with eyes in the back of his head. Podziemski displayed all three in a play that seemed too good to be true. Words don’t do it justice. Watch and do your best to keep your jaw from hitting the floor.
What started with Jonathan Kuminga jabbing away a Grizzlies pass attempt ended with him throwing down a dunk on the run for two points. In the middle was one of the more impressive passes by anyone in the entire NBA. Not only did Podziemski run into the first row of fans to keep the play alive, he used his non-dominant right hand to whip a pass behind his back, somehow delivering it in stride for Kuminga, who caught the ball off one bounce and quickly leapt to dunk over former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr.
The start to the season has been less than ideal for Podziemski. That play also is a direct example of the energy he always brings whenever his name is called.
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