Ja Morant’s Grizzlies wreck Warriors chance at a win-streak, 110-102

The Golden State Warriors got a taste of why Ja Morant is considered a favorite to win Rookie of the Year.

After beating the Chicago Bulls in the final chapter of a five-game road trip, the Golden State Warriors had a chance to start their first winning streak in 2019 with the Memphis Grizzlies coming to town. The Grizzlies lost nine of their last 10 before heading to San Francisco, while the Warriors were getting healthy for the first time in 2019— everything seemed to be lining up in Golden State’s favor.

The Grizzlies had a different plan— to shoot the three-pointer, and the Warriors couldn’t stop them. The Grizzlies cashed 15 threes on a whopping 40 attempts from beyond the arc. Seven different Memphis players knocked down three-pointer’s, including both of the Grizzlies bigs, Jaren Jackson and Jonas Valanciunas.

The Warriors could never match the Grizzlies shooting effort, only shooting 38 percent from the field, but where Golden State got hurt was turning the basketball over. The Warriors couldn’t get out of their own way, ending the night with 17 turnovers.

Golden State tried to scrap back into the game, cutting the Grizzlies lead to single digits in the final minutes. However, a stellar fourth quarter by Ja Morant sealed the Memphis 110-102 win.

Battle for Rookie of the Year

The days of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph traveling to the Bay Area for a playoff matchup against Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are gone. Instead, the Grizzlies-Warriors matchup headlined a pair of rookies. Both Morant and Eric Paschall are Rookie of the Year contenders and went toe-to-toe Monday night.

Although there was hype, it was a one-person show with the Memphis rookie landing the knockout punch. Morant dropped 25 points with seven assists, while Paschall had a disappointing performance, only tallying five points and two rebounds.

Morant’s best moment of the night came on a flashy dribbling clinic that left Alec Burks looking in a different direction. Paschall will get another crack at Morant when the Warriors head to Memphis on January 12.

Jacob Evans Returns

After missing the past 21-games, second-year guard, Jacob Evans returned to the floor for Golden State, giving the Warriors their most substantial bench since the opening week of the season. Evans only totaled 11-minutes, adding two points, one rebound, and one assist. Evans will slowly be worked back into Steve Kerr’s rotation as he continues to get his feet under him in his sophomore NBA season.

Draymond Green Season High

Draymond Green tied his 2019 season-high in scoring with 16 points against the Memphis Grizzlies, a positive sign for the Warriors All-Star. Green was aggressive on the offensive side, which has turned into a rare occasion for the former Defensive Player of the Year. If the Warriors want to hang in games, while Curry and Thompson are out, they need Green to be active offensively.

With the 2019-20 season looking like a developmental year for Golden State, Green should push to work on his offensive game before next season when the Splash Brothers return healthy.