Warriors make a splash to take 3-2 edge
OAKLAND — Down and out days earlier, the Golden State Warriors suddenly look alive and well again.
Stephen Curry turned in an MVP-worthy performance, Klay Thompson snapped out of his shooting funk and the Warriors rolled past the Memphis Grizzlies, 98-78, on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series.
Curry scored 18 points on six three-pointers and added a career-playoff high six steals to go with seven rebounds and five assists. Thompson scored 21 points, and Harrison Barnes had 14 as the Warriors won their second consecutive game in impressive fashion.
Golden State can close out the Grizzlies in Game 6 on Friday night in Memphis.
“I think I said the first couple games our defense was good enough. But it wasn’t championship defense,” Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said. “I was wrong. This is what it’s going to take.”
With defensive stopper Tony Allen sidelined with a left hamstring injury, the Grizzlies struggled to contain Golden State’s streaky shooters. The Warriors made 14 of 30 shots from three-point range.
Marc Gasol had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Zach Randolph had 13 points and 10 boards for a Grizzlies team suddenly on the brink of elimination. It was Memphis’ lowest point total in these playoffs.
Curry carried the Warriors back from an early 13point deficit, connecting on four three-pointers to give Golden State a 26-25 lead at the end of the first quarter. He motioned his hands wildly to the roaring, golden-shirt-wearing sellout crowd following the fourth make just before the buzzer.
“It was a miracle we had the lead after the first quarter,” Kerr said.