Golden State Warriors @ Memphis Grizzlies: Top-4 Plays

Here are the top-4 plays from the Golden State Warriors game against the Memphis Grizzlies this past Saturday at FedExForum.

The Golden State Warriors suffered quite the interesting loss Saturday night at the FedExForum, falling 111-101 to Marc Gasol and the Memphis Grizzlies.

Despite only playing only 30 minutes prior to being ejected from the game, Stephen Curry led all scorers with 37 points, six rebounds and three assists on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and 6-of-11 shooting from behind the arc.

Kevin Durant posted a double-double with 29 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three blocks on 11-of-24 shooting. Klay Thompson was the only other player to score in double digits for the Warriors, tallying 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting.

Marc Gasol predictably led the way for the Grizz, dropping in 34 points and 14 rebounds. Four other Grizz players finished in double-digit scoring, including James Ennis III (13), Tyreke Evans (12), Mario Chalmers (10), and Mike Conley (10).

While yet another Warriors loss is a bit concerning, there were a number of Warriors sequences worth noting — most especially the following four plays.

4. KD on both ends

As surprising as it may be, Kevin Durant has developed from being a dominant offensive force to one of the best two-way players in the NBA.

Fresh off a career-high seven blocks against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, Durant recorded three blocks against the Memphis Grizzlies, including this gem right here:

Durant’s defensive prowess began to take shape last season, posting career-high per game averages of 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. In the three games the Warriors have played this season, Durant has averaged 8.7 rebounds and an unbelievable 4.7 blocks.

As an incredibly agile and athletic 7-footer, these are the kinds of defensive plays we should continue to expect from Kevin Durant moving forward. His ability to cover a wide space in very little time allows him to quickly shift over to the weak side to contest shots, giving him an advantage only a few players in the NBA have.

3. Draymond summed up in one video

Draymond Green is a jack-of-all-trades — a Swiss army knife, if you will — and it’s his amazing versatility that makes him central to Golden State’s dominance.

He can handle the ball well enough to direct the offense; he has the vision and passing ability that could rival other points guards; and he can defend nearly every position at an exceptionally high level.

Therefore, it’s really no surprise when he puts all three abilities on full display — all in a matter of ten seconds.

First of all, Green’s closeout on Gasol was textbook: recognizing Gasol’s 3-point shooting ability, Green closes out low on Gasol, stripping the 7-footer by keeping his arms active. After securing the ball, he utilizes his handling ability to push the break, finding Klay Thompson as the trailer.

Credit to Thompson, too: that gliding finger roll finish was pretty damn smooth.

2. “Just like they drew it up…”

One of the most demoralizing plays in basketball is when a team is able to drop in a 3-pointer shortly after an offensive rebound, and the Golden State Warriors are the undisputed champions of demoralizing plays.

Were I to put together a list of Golden State’s signature plays, I would most definitely include this particular sequence:

Shooters gonna shoot, and Klay Thompson is most definitely a shooter. Unfortunately, he just didn’t shoot well from deep this game, going just 2-of-8 from behind the arc against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Now normally, Golden State would end up with the offensive rebound, kick it out to one of their shooters, then drop in the 3-pointer. In this particular instance, it was actually the Grizzlies who got the offensive board.

Unfortunately for Memphis, however, David West was able to intercept the saved ball, subsequently kicking it out to Durant for the 3-point bucket amid Golden State’s fourth quarter run.

1. The wizardry of Steph Curry

Stephen Curry dropped 37 points in 30 minutes of play. It’s really no wonder Curry frustrates so many people: no person should be able to pull off these kinds of feats so consistently.

There’s been a lot of great scorers in the history of the NBA. Only some of those scorers were renowned for their long range shooting ability, and even fewer are known for their ability to shoot the ball off the dribble.

Only one of those players is a former 2-time MVP and 2-time NBA champion.

So it’s amazing to me when Curry doesn’t get the calls he deserves.

Anyone that’s familiar with Curry knows that it takes quite a bit of contact for him to earn a whistle. Unlike some other players in the NBA, Curry doesn’t constantly whip his head back exaggerate contact and get the attention of the referees.

Everyone already knows that immediately following the play above, Curry was ejected for throwing his mouthpiece in the general direction of a referee. He did so in frustration, apparently angry over the fact that he was unable to get a call after making contact with Mike Conley midair during a layup attempt.

Next: Curry, Durant ejected in loss to Memphis

That entire sequence, however, overshadowed this beautiful in-and-out dribble move from Curry, which freed up his driving lane in the first place.