On Friday night, Warriors overcame one of their final hurdles of the regular season: beating every team in the NBA.
The Memphis Grizzlies have been a perennial thorn in the Warriors’ side, winning eight of their previous 10 match ups. Memphis has rarely failed to grind out a win against the Dubs, especially at the FedEx Forum (sometimes referred to as the “Grindhouse”).
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As evidenced by their play on Friday night, the Warriors were visibly tired of being bullied by the Grizzlies and their low-post monsters. They forced Memphis to adapt to their pace, ultimately resulting in a crushing victory. Memphis was expected to come out the gates strong after a humiliating loss to Cleveland at home earlier in the week. The Warriors were simply able to execute their pass-heavy offense against an elite defense and nullify Memphis’ paint presence.
While the Grizzlies played a great first half, the routine halftime adjustments from the Warriors’ coaching staff The Warriors forced 19 Memphis turnovers leading to 32 points. As owners of the fastest pace in the league, the Warriors thrive in open court situations.
The Grizzlies shot themselves in the foot with lazy passes and poor transition defense resulting in easy buckets for the Warriors. They were unable to establish their slower pace. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol were only able to score 10 points each, on a combined 8-of-20 shooting. Bogut, who was absent during the last matchup, Green and even David Lee had a hand in containing Memphis’ big men.
Mar 27, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) drives against Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) in the first quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Curry had himself yet another dominant and efficient performance with 38 points on 12-of-22 shooting and 10 assists, including eight threes. With a convincing win over Memphis, Curry continues to add to his impressive resume for this season. Though much credit should be given his teammates, Curry and the Warriors are finding ways to best opponents that had previously seemed to bother them (i.e. Rockets, Spurs, Grizzlies). As long as the Warriors continue to move the ball and play suffocating defense, they have a good chance to take out any team in a seven game series.
The Warriors are currently playing at the pinnacle of basketball. With Andre Iguodala, Leandro Barbosa, Shaun Livingston, and Harrison Barnes finding their strides, the Warriors’ depth is more apparent than ever. The team is a true blend of talent, skill, athleticism, basketball IQ, and most importantly selflessness. Egos and hero-ball have been eliminated from the equation, producing an exciting yet efficient style of basketball. The Warriors show no signs of slowing down, making statements against rival teams.
We can expect to see Kerr rest his players with the team on the verge of clinching the top seed. With sufficient rest, the Warriors should be primed and ready to carry their regular season dominance into the playoffs.