Golden State Warriors Fall Flat in Game 2 Loss to Grizzlies

If the Golden State Warriors thought they would just cruise past the Memphis Grizzlies, they should think again after losing 97-90 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Tuesday night.

The best-of-seven series is now tied at one-game apiece.

It was a very uncharacteristic performance for the Warriors, who were forced to play the Grizzlies’ tempo and never established a consistent flow all night.

Down 11 points at halftime, the Warriors never trimmed the lead to more than seven, and could not put together a consistent stretch at both ends.

Stephen Curry scored seven straight points for the Warriors at one point in the third, but it put a minimal dent in the lead. The Grizzlies, who received 20 points from Zach Randolph, maintained a comfortable advantage into the fourth quarter and never lifted their foot off the gas pedal.

With the score 87-80 in favor of the Grizzlies at the 3:15 mark of the fourth, Mike Conley hit a dagger for the Grizzlies after the Warriors missed several opportunities to cut the lead down to five. Conley drilled a three to give the Grizzlies a 10-point lead.

Conley, a game-time decision due to facial injuries, wound up starting and playing with a mask. And he was effective, leading his team with 22 points, creating space and knocking down shots that the Grizzlies didn’t have during his Game 1 absence.

Meanwhile, the Warriors were bottled up from the floor the entire game. Curry was held to just 19 points and shot just 2-of-11 from three-point range, including an air-ball late in the fourth that more or less sent fans scurrying for the exits.

Klay Thompson struggled even more, limited to just 13 points on 1-of-6 shooting. Overall, the Warriors were forced to take bad shots, turned the ball over to excess, and fell prey to a near-perfect performance from the Grizzlies.

Randolph scored the game’s first points with a bucket in the paint, and that would be a microcosm of how the half played out. The Grizzlies took an early 10-4 lead and baited Draymond Green into two fouls, forcing Steve Kerr to insert David Lee into the game.

The Grizzlies took full advantage of the early momentum and played their style, not allowing the Warriors to get out on the break. In fact, the Warriors had just five fastbreak points in the first half to the Grizzlies’ 12.

That meant the Warriors were clearly uncomfortable and were dominated in the paint by the Grizzlies 28-14. Golden State trailed 28-22 after one and although the bench kept them in the game for much of the second quarter, the Warriors never gained their footing.

They were held to just 17 points in the second quarter, and Thompson struggled mightily from the field, missing all six of his attempts in the frame. Curry and Thompson missed 10 of their last 11 shots combined in the first half.

That allowed the Grizzlies to end the half on a 9-0 run, and a Beno Udrih basket gave the Grizzlies a 50-39 lead at the break.

So now, it’s a best-of-five with home court belonging to the Grizzlies. Instead of looking ahead to their Finals matchup, Warriors fans should be very concerned with getting past the gritty Grizzlies first.

Tale of the Tape

Warriors

• Field-goal percentage: 42.5% (31-73)
• Three-point percentage: 23.1% (6-26)
• Rebounds: 44
• Assists: 16
• Turnovers: 20

Grizzlies

• Field-goal percentage: 45.1% (37-82)
• Three-point percentage: 33.3% (5-15)
• Rebounds: 38
• Assists: 19
• Turnovers: 14

Good to Know

What’s on Tap 

The two teams have a three-day break before Game 3 in Memphis on Saturday.