Tag: Warriors vs. Grizzlies

NBA Twitter reacts to Warriors’ season coming to an end vs. Grizzlies in play-in tournament

After building a comeback, the Warriors season came to a close against the Grizzlies in the play-in tournament. Here are some of the best tweets.

Less than a week after pushing past the Memphis Grizzlies in the regular-season finale, the Golden State Warriors hosted a rematch on Friday at Chase Center with the final spot in the Western Conference postseason on the line.

After Steph Curry blasted the Grizzlies for 46 points in a 113-101 win on Sunday, Friday’s play-in game got off to a different start. The Grizzlies took control, surging to a 13 point lead in the first half.

Despite a bevy of turnovers, the Warriors were able to build a comeback and force overtime behind Curry. The seven-time All-Star guard tallied 39 points on 13-of-28 shooting from the field and 6-of-15 shooting from long distance. However, it wasn’t enough to slow down Ja Morant.

The second-year guard recorded a heroic effort, scoring 35 points on 14-of-29 shooting from the field, including a pair of dagger buckets to close the game in the Grizzlies’ favor, 117-112. In a contest with the season on the line, Morant registered his best shooting night from long-distance, hitting a career-best five 3-pointers on 10 attempts.

As the Grizzlies will move on to face the Utah Jazz in the first round of the postseason, the Warriors’ 2020-21 campaign has come to a close.

Following the Warriors’ sudden end to the season, Twitter exploded with a flurry of reactions. Here is a look at some of the tweets from Friday night after the play-in game.

3 things to know: Warriors’ season comes to end with overtime loss to Grizzlies, 117-112

After battling to force overtime, the Golden State Warriors’ season came to an end in an overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, 117-112.

After a slow start in the final Western Conference play-in game, the Golden State Warriors battled to force an overtime period against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night at Chase Center.

However, while the Grizzlies continued to hit clutch buckets, the Warriors didn’t have an answer with the season on the line. Following a heroic performance from Ja Morant to pace the Warriors in regulation, his teammates answered the bell in overtime.

Grayson Allen drilled back-to-back triples to give the Grizzlies a four-point lead early in overtime. Despite triples from Draymond Green and Jordan Poole, Memphis continued to respond. With the shot clock running down, rookie Xavier Tillman hit a corner 3-pointer to put the Grizzlies up by one with 1:27 remaining.

Following an ugly missed jumper from Andrew Wiggins, Ja Morant closed the contest with back-to-back dagger floating layups.

The Memphis defense swarmed to Curry all night, including on the final possession of regulation. With Curry surrounded and seconds ticking away in the fourth quarter, the seven-time All-Star guard was forced to pass the ball. While Steph Curry scored a game-high 39 points on 13-of-28 shooting from the field and 6-of-15 shooting from beyond the arc, it wasn’t enough. Curry and the Warriors’ season came to a close with a loss to the Grizzlies, 117-112.

With back-to-back losses from the Warriors in the play-in tournament, the Grizzlies will take over the No. 8 seed, advancing to meet the Utah Jazz in the opening round of the 2021 postseason.

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Ja Morant

After a rough performance in the final game of the regular season against the Warriors at Chase Center, Ja Morant responded on Friday night. The second-year guard led the Grizzlies with 35 points on 14-of-29 shooting from the field with six rebounds, six assists and four steals in 46 minutes.

Following a cold long-distance run on Sunday in the Bay Area, shooting only 1-of-6 on 3-pointers, Morant had a career night beyond the arc in a big moment. The 21-year-old notched five triples on 10 attempts from deep to fuel his effort against the Warriors.

Turnovers

Connecting a theme from Wednesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, turnovers hurt the Warriors against the Grizzlies. Golden State struggled to protect the basketball, turning it over 21 times on Friday night. Each time the Warriors needed to respond to a timely bucket by the Grizzlies, a turnover stunted the chances of a potential run.

Down by three with 27.9 seconds on the clock, Jordan Poole lost the ball out of bounds, recording a costly final turnover.

Out of the 21 turnovers, Golden State’s core of Steph Curry and Draymond Green combined for 13.

Jordan Poole

Barring his turnover at the end of the game, Jordan Poole turned in a gritty performance to end his breakout season. In 38 minutes off the bench, the second-year guard tallied 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field with four assists and three rebounds. In overtime, Poole hit a pair of much-needed triples to keep the Warriors in the game against the Grizzlies.

After a strong close to the season, Poole will likely head into his third year with the Warriors as a featured piece off the bench.

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3 things to know: Warriors clinch No. 8 seed in play-in tournament behind Steph Curry’s 46 points vs. Grizzlies, 113-101

With play-in implications looming, Steph Curry torched the Grizzlies for 46 points as the Warriors clinched the No. 8 seed in the West.

After blowing a 17 point lead heading into the fourth quarter to the Memphis Grizzlies, Steph Curry re-entered the game to come to the rescue for the Golden State Warriors with 9:26 remaining. 

The two-time Most Valuable Player scored 16 points in the final frame with four clutch triples to seal a 113-101 victory over the Grizzlies and the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

Curry finished the contest with a sizzling 46 point effort on 16-of-36 shooting from the field with nine triples on 22 attempts from beyond the arc. The seven-time All-Star guard tacked on nine assists, seven rebounds, a block and a steal in 40 minutes. Curry scored 33 of his 46 points in the second half alone.

Along with helping lead the Warriors to a spot in the play-in tournament, Curry notched the second scoring title of his career, averaging a league-best 32 points per contest.

Via @warriors on Twitter:

The waiting game

The Warriors will now wait for results in the Los Angeles Lakers contest against the New Orleans Pelicans and the tilt between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers. If the Trail Blazers win, the Warriors will meet LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers in the play-in tournament. If Portland loses and the defending champs win, the Warriors will battle Damian Lillard and the Blazers for a spot in the postseason.

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Jordan Poole

Coming off a career-high 38 points on Friday against the Pelicans, Jordan Poole stayed hot during Sunday’s matinee. The second-year guard carried the Warriors second unit, scoring 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. Poole has now scored 14 or more points in six consecutive games.

With Kelly Oubre Jr. dealing with injuries, the Warriors will need to count on Poole off the bench in the play-in tournament.

Highlight of the game

While Curry stole the show with another ridiculous scoring effort, Andrew Wiggins registered his top highlight as a member of the Golden State Warriors.

With the Warriors gripping to a one-point lead, Curry pulled up for an open 3-pointer that clanked off the rim. Following the missed jumper, Wiggins exploded to the bucket for an emphatic putback jam.

Via @NBCSWarriors on Twitter:

Wiggins finished the game against Memphis with 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field. Wiggins added 10 rebounds, a steal and a block in 37 minutes.

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3 things to know: Despite gritty effort, short-handed Warriors can’t close the Grizzlies late, 111-103

Despite a gritty performance, the Warriors couldn’t close late, dropping a 111-103 loss on the second end of a road back-to-back against the Grizzlies.

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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3 things to know: Andrew Wiggins explodes for 40 points to lead Warriors over Grizzlies without Steph Curry, 116-103

Without Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins exploded the Warriors with 40 points in a 116-103 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

Heading into the opening contest of a two-game back-to-back series against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors were forced to feature a shorthanded lineup. With James Wiseman, Eric Paschall and Steph Curry ruled out against the Grizzlies; the Warriors needed someone to step up.

Andrew Wiggins answered the bell, scoring a season-high 40 points on 14-of-24 shooting from the field to lead the Warriors to an impressive 116-103 victory in Memphis. Along with his best scoring performance since joining the Warriors, Wiggins added eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in 34 minutes.

While Wiggins led the Warriors in scoring, Draymond Green was everywhere else against the Grizzlies. Although he only scored two points, Green tallied 13 assists and 11 rebounds.

With Curry’s status doubtful for Saturday’s rematch, the Warriors will need to lean on Wiggins and Green again in the second leg of a road back-to-back against the Grizzlies.

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Jordan Poole

After a flurry of impressive performances off the bench since his return from the G League bubble, Jordan Poole was called on to start in place of Curry. In his first appearance of the season in the starting lineup, the second-year guard did not disappoint.

Poole continued his steady run, recording 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the floor with two assists and two rebounds in 34 minutes. The Michigan product drilled three 3-pointers on six attempts from deep.

Kevon Looney

With a thin rotation in the frontcourt due to Wiseman’s absence, Kevon Looney turned in one of his best performances of the season. The UCLA product registered 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting with four boards, three assists and three steals in 21 minutes. Looney showed off some range, stepping out to hit a triple in the first quarter.

Looney’s 11 point effort against the Grizzlies was his third time scoring in double-figures during the 2020-21 season.

Damion Lee

With Poole in the starting lineup, Damion Lee served as a catalyst off the bench for Golden State against Memphis. Lee helped charge Kerr’s thin second unit, scoring 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field with two boards, an assist and a steal in 28 minutes.

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Warriors at Grizzlies: Live stream, how to watch, TV channel, rookie watch, previous result, start time on March 19

With a limited rotation due to injuries, the Warriors will travel to Memphis for the start of a road back-to-back. Here are all the details for Friday’s matchup.

With March Madness in the air, the Golden State Warriors will be on the floor to start a back-to-back series with the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

After Eric Paschall and James Wiseman missed Golden State’s contest due to entering the league’s health and safety protocol, the Warriors rode a shorthanded lineup against the Houston Rockets to a 108-94 victory. In Memphis, the Warriors will feature an even lighter rotation against the Grizzlies.

Following a fall near the sideline in the third quarter against the Rockets, Steph Curry will be sidelined against the Rockets due to a tailbone contusion. With the seven-time All-Star out, Steve Kerr will turn to second-year guard Jordan Poole.

Since returning to the Warriors from the G League bubble in Orlando, Poole is averaging 19 points on 54% from the field with 2.2 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per contest.

Before Golden State begins a two-game run against the Grizzlies, here are all the details for Friday’s contest.

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