Golden State snaps losing skid
Green suffers hard fall, returns to game to lead Warriors
MEMPHIS >> As forward Draymond Green laid on the ground clutching his right elbow, what seemed like a breakthrough night for the Warriors suddenly looked like just another bad break.
The Warriors were up 79- 65 with less than three minutes left in the third quarter when Green hit the ground hard after contesting Grizzlies’ guard Tyus Jones’ shot at the rim. With an apparent right elbow contusion, Green went to the bench where his right arm was dressed with a padded sleeve.
Green checked back into the game in the fourth quarter to nearly complete a triple double — missing it by two points — and seal the Warriors’ first win in nearly two weeks. On Tuesday, the Warriors (3-12) snapped their seven-game losing streak, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 114-95 at FedEx Forum.
Green finished with eight points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Recording
nearly a triple double in his second-straight game at point guard, the stat line highlights his importance as a foundational piece for the Warriors’ young players to work around.
“I can’t curse because I don’t want to get in trouble, but I was mad,” forward Marquese Chriss said. “Just it seems like that’s the type of thing that’s been happening right now. But Draymond’s a soldier. He fights through things, he wants to play and he wants to be out there, and thankfully it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.”
Chriss had his best game of the
season with 17 points, six rebounds and five blocks. Guard Alec Burks led the Warriors with 29 points, while forward Glenn Robinson III and rookie Eric Paschall scored 20 points and 17 points, respectively.
After a closely contested opening period, the Warriors used a 26- 4 run to take a 20 point lead with 3:33 left in the second quarter. Partly helped by several missed shots at the rim by the Grizzlies, the Warriors played stout defense to generate
stops and get out in transition.
“They got 30 points there in the first quarter and we started putting stops together,” Green said. “Once we put stops together, we were able to get out and get some buckets in transition, get the game to our pace. And when you put three, four, five stops together, you’re able to open the lead up.”
With 6:07 left in the second quarter, center Willie Cauley- Stein jumped a passing lane to steal Grizzlies rookie guard Ja Morant’s pass. Cauley- Stein ran the floor and finished with a dunk at the halfway
point of the game’s deciding run. It was a night when everyone contributed.
“It was a great win. Everybody who stepped on the floor played well,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I’m just happy for the guys. They have been playing hard and working hard and it’s good to see them rewarded because they have kept their energy up through all these losses. They deserve this.”
Even though the Grizzlies (5-9) made a few runs, the 33-16 second quarter gave the Warriors a lead they would carry through the final buzzer.
Green’s temporary injury opened the door for the
Grizzlies, but they failed to mount a comeback. When Green checked back in two minutes into the fourth quarter, the Warriors went on a 14- 4 run to take a 23-point lead, it’s largest lead of the game with 5:10 remaining.
The Grizzlies were led by Morant’s 20 points and six assists. The Warriors defense, steadily improving since the start of the season, held Memphis to 40.9% shooting and gained a 51-37 rebounding edge. It’s the third-straight game they’ve held an opponent to less than 42% shooting.
The win provides a morale
boost to a shorthanded Warriors team in need of a win. Missing several key rotation players, including Stephen Curry (hand surgery) and Klay Thompson (knee surgery), Golden State entered the night with nine healthy players. Green’s injury scare would have put the roster at eight.
Maybe it’s a lucky break for a team that hasn’t had many this season, and one that helped them break a losing streak weighing down the team’s progress.
“I knew I would play through it,” Green said.
Despi te the los - ing streak, players and coaches often spoke about
the progress that was being made. In the last seven games, the Warriors’ defense has gone from last in the league in defensive rating to 20th — and continues to trend positively. They’ve won the turnover battle in five of the last seven games.
But the team craved a win to validate the progress they talked so much about.
“They haven’t stopped working but you need to be rewarded for those efforts. Tonight, our players were rewarded, and now, hopefully, we can use this as some momentum and get some more wins.”