The Golden State Warriors were looking to get back on track after a disappointing home loss to the New York Knicks on Monday night. Facing a depleted Memphis Grizzles team, the Warriors couldn’t afford to lose this one with the Houston Rockets suddenly on their heels for the 10th seed in the West.
Thanks to a dominant third quarter, the hosts pulled away from Memphis to earn a 137-116 victory and improve to 36-32 on the season.
The victory was driven by a strong team-oriented offensive performance, with the Warriors shooting 58 percent from the floor and 48.7 percent from three-point range despite Stephen Curry being held to just 14 points. Here are three key takeaways from the competition:
This game was won thanks to an explosive run at the end of the first half and in the third quarter. A 22-0 run seemed to deflate the once-confident Grizzles. At one point, Santi Aldama pitched and the game was tied, but Golden State took control on a 33-6 run.
It was like the vintage third-quarter Warriors, getting out in transition and knocking down shots. Not to mention, thanks to the run, the Warriors were able to enjoy a big lead and avoid another clutch time play. Too often we’ve seen Golden State’s leads evaporate this season, so it was a nice change to see them hold a comfortable lead for the entire second half.
WIGGS ATTACKED HIM WITH ONE HAND AND FINISHED HIM ???? pic.twitter.com/b8gBr3gaXT
– Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 21, 2024
One thing Steve Kerr and the coaching staff won’t like is the Warriors’ three-point defense in this game. If you’re watching Golden State and thinking the opposing team is turning out the lights, you’re not alone. Too often it feels like the Warriors have too much help and then scramble and are out of place on turnovers, leaving the three-point line open.
Memphis, who entered the night as one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the entire NBA, started the first quarter strong from behind the arc. Aldama had six in the first half alone to reach 21 points. Kerr showed some frustration after Kuminga gave up in the sixth, immediately calling a timeout. The rest of the night saw a much better effort from the Dubs, with the Grizzlies finishing 18 of 49 from beyond the arc. However, it’s still a worrying aspect to watch for the rest of the season.
It would be a mistake not to mention how good the Warriors were on offense tonight. They took advantage of a weak Memphis defense, with Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins particularly fantastic. Chris Paul dished out 14 assists, Klay Thompson looked good en route to 23 points and Trayce Jackson Davis dominated driving to the rim. Hell, Curry only had to take nine shots in 24 minutes. In total, the Warriors scored 137 points, made 19 three-pointers, had 43 assists, saw seven guys in double figures and recorded just seven total turnovers. An almost perfect evening offensively.
