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The Golden State Warriors started out their short two-game road trip in disappointing fashion, falling to the New Orleans Pelicans 113-109 on Tuesday night. But they rebounded — literally and figuratively — in emphatic fashion on Wednesday night, crushing the Memphis Grizzlies 133-112 in a game that wasn’t as close as the not-at-all close score might suggest.
It is, admittedly, what the Warriors probably felt they were supposed to do. Even on the road, even on the back end of a back-to-back, and even playing without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III, De’Anthony Melton, and Kristaps Porziņģis, the Warriors surely felt they should beat a Grizzlies team that is actively making no attempt to win games after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline and gearing up for a rebuild.
But that didn’t make the effort any less impressive, especially considering just how shorthanded the team was. Just look at those names again: Curry! Green! Butler! Melton! Porziņģis! That’s a whole lot of talent missing for the Dubs, who started Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, Moses Moody, Gui Santos, and Al Horford, while bringing just four players — Pat Spencer, Quinten Post, Gary Payton II, and two-way contract Malevy Leons — off the bench. Though the Grizzlies were, admittedly, without Ja Morant, among others.
And so the battle of the injured vs. the tanking commenced, and it did so with endless energy from both sides. The Warriors were flying around the court, which led to a fair amount of sloppiness, but resulted in more good than bad. They took an early 17-12 lead that forced a Grizzlies timeout.
Steve Kerr used that timeout to pound a little bal control into the team’s collective head, and they came out of it with impeccable offensive execution. The ball movement was exceptional, and you could see every high school and college coach grinning ear to ear as the Warriors repeatedly drove into the paint and kicked the ball out, drove back onto the paint and kicked the all out, repeating until a cutter or a shooter got wide open.
The Grizzlies started to close the gap, but Podziemski and Spencer were in control for the Warriors. But Memphis ended on a high note, as GG Jackson banked home a halfcourt jumper to beat the buzzer. After scoring just 19 points in the first quarter the night before, the Warriors had hung 34 on the Grizzlies … but allowed 31.
It all changed in the second quarter, though. The energy that defined the first quarter was dialed up a notch for Golden State, while Memphis failed to sustain it. It was a case of out-hustling and out-hearting for the Warriors, but it wasn’t just effort: the execution was utterly phenomenal. The team was cutting, cutting, and cutting some more, and within a few possessions it was a double-digit lead. Before you knew it, the lead had ballooned to 20, and then to 24 thanks to a 14-0 run. The youths were playing with endless energy and joy, while the veteran Horford was controlling all the action and holding down the fort on both ends of the court. It was a delight to watch, and the Warriors entered the halftime break with a 74-53 advantage, and total control of the game.
That control was threatened early in the third quarter. Memphis found their energy at the half and that, combined with the Warriors jumpers going cold to start the third quarter, made things look dangerous for a little bit. The Grizzlies started to cut into the deficit, but the Warriors were able to hold court.
It wasn’t always pretty. Things got a little hectic, and at times it felt like the Dubs were leaking oil, yet they never let the Grizzlies actually get close. Every sloppy play or missed rotation was met with a deflection, a cut, or a rebound from someone crashing from the wing. They weren’t just responding to the punches thrown by Memphis, but countering their own mistakes, and sustaining the lead.
Richard in particular came up huge in the second half, seemingly deflecting a pass on every defensive position, and repeatedly leaking out for uncontested buckets at the rim. Despite having their momentum threatened, the Warriors still led 96-76 entering the final quarter.
From there, they settled into a smooth and easy win. The Grizzlies had given it a run in the third quarter, and had nothing left in the tank for the fourth. The Warriors kept cutting and kept busting their butts down the court, earning transition opportunities galore.
The only question in the fourth was whether or not Leons could get to double figures for the first time in his career, as all eight other players had cruised to that mark. Tragically, the youngster left the team — and Bob Fitzgerald in particular — hanging. He made it to nine points, earned. atrip to the free throw line, and then missed both shots. So it goes.
It was a might impressive performance up and down the roster. The Warriors outrebounded the Grizzlies 56-39, and forced 16 turnovers. They outscored their counterparts in the paint 58-44, and in transition 17-13. The Dubs made 49 baskets, and 37 of them were assisted.
A day after not taking a single shot, Richard led the team with 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting, and added five rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Spencer nearly had a double-double with 12 points and nine assists, while Podziemski flirted with a triple-double, finished the game with 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Post and Horford were both very strong in the paint, with the former having 12 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks, and the latter 10 points, seven rebounds, and one swat. Leons may have failed to make it a clean sweep of players in double figures, but he grabbed eight rebounds, dished two assists, grabbed two steals, and blocked a shot in less than 18 minutes of action.
Fantastic play up and down the roster, and a very nice win.
With none of the other Western Conference play-in tournament teams in action, the Warriors moved to 31-28 on the year, and within two games of the Phoenix Suns … while moving to three games ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers and LA Clippers. They now get a pair of days off before hosting the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.