Prior to the start of the game, the Golden State Warriors were climbing an uphill battle in the second leg of a back-to-back road swing against the Memphis Grizzlies.
With James Wiseman, Eric Paschall and Kevon Looney in the league’s health and safety protocol, and Steph Curry sidelined with a tailbone contusion, the Warriors featured a thin rotation against Memphis on Friday.
Despite a depleted lineup on the road, the Warriors battled with the Grizzlies throughout the contest. Although the Warriors trailed by three heading into the fourth quarter, both teams traded leads throughout the final 12 minutes of the game. Despite Golden State leading by one with under three minutes remaining, a Ja Morant bucket followed by a Grayson Allen dunk off a turnover pushed the Grizzlies ahead down the stretch.
Without Curry, the Warriors weren’t able to rally a comeback to end their gritty performance with a victory. Memphis was able to close out the Warriors late, 111-103.
After finishing their road swing with a 2-1 record, the Warriors will get two days off before hosting the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
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Jordan Poole
Since returning from Orlando’s G League bubble, he has performed at a noteworthy level in every contest. Since returning from a stint in the G league’s Orlando Bubbl, Poole has looked like a different player from the start of the season.
On Saturday, the Michigan product scored a career-high 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting from the field. Once Golden State’s rotation turns to full strength, Poole has proven he’s ready to play a more significant role off the bench behind Curry.
Juan Toscano-Anderson
Whenever it felt like the Warriors were on the brink of falling apart, Juan Toscano-Anderson stepped up. Whether it was a clutch 3-pointer, a defensive stop or playmaking pass, the Bay Area native was all over the floor during Saturday’s contest.
Toscano-Anderson ended the game with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field with six rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks in 24 minutes. Toscano-Andersons showed off his range, drilling three triples on five attempts from long distance. Marquette product finished the game with a team-high of +15.
Alen Smailagic
With Wiseman and Looney out, the Warriors called on Alen Smailagic to start in the frontcourt against the Grizzlies. In his first NBA start, the second-year forward started strong, drilling a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the contest. However, Smailagic’s night was quiet after his first jumper.
The former second-round pick recorded three points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. Smailagix registered zeros in every other category. Smailagic struggled to not foul, tallying five personal fouls in eight minutes.
With Wiseman and Looney in the league’s health and safety protocol, the Warriors will need to continue to count on Smailagic form minutes at the center position.
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