The Warriors and Grizzlies, who own the top two records in the NBA through the NBA’s first quarter of the season, squared off in Memphis last night, and the Grizzlies ended the Warriors franchise-best 16-game winning streak, defeating them 105-98. Despite the win, the Warriors were right in the mix late in the game, and with a hopeful return of Andrew Bogut from a lingering knee issue, they’ll do a lot better at stopping Marc Gasol, who led the way for Memphis with 24 points and seven rebounds in the home win.
We love Marreese Speights. He’s got a great mid-range jumper, he moves well without the ball, sets solid screens, and he’s turned into a huge part of what Golden State’s bench can do on the offensive end. But he’s no Andrew Bogut when it comes to defense.
That’s how Gasol was able to drop 24 points last night without the smart, Aussie seven-footer blocking his way.
The Grizzlies defense also held the dynamic motion offense of the Dubs in check, limiting them to just 41.1 percent shooting, including 9-of-31 from deep.
Stephen Curry was a laughable 1-for-10 from long-range, missing some easy jumpers and struggling when he got the ball near the cup against Memphis’ front-line. After hitting his first two layups in the opening quarter, he was just 3-of-7 at the rim in the last three sessions, and miss a few big ones late. Here’s his redder-than-usual shot chart:
But it was Gasol who led the way, shooting 11-for-21 from the field, and teaming with Zach Randolph (17 points on 8-for-12 shooting and 10 rebounds) for the big home win over the top team in the Western Conference:
(video via Piotr Zarychta)
Should the Warriors be crushed about the game, or are there upsides to the loss?
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