Golden State Warriors’ veterans provide major no-show in Memphis

Despite getting 45 combined points from bench duo Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole, the Golden State Warriors have suffered their 11th straight road loss with a 133-119 defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.

The Warriors’ defensive woes continued as the Grizzlies shot 54.7% from the field and 47.4% from three-point range. On the other end, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson look tired on the second night of a back-to-back, recording just 30 combined points on 32 shots.

The Golden State Warriors got little from their starters as the Memphis Grizzlies ran away with a comfortable 14-point win at FedExForum.

Kuminga went 3-for-3 from three-point range in the opening quarter, scoring 11 of his team-high 24 points in an otherwise inefficient Warrior opening quarter. In contrast, the Grizzlies shot 5-for-7 from deep to hold a 33-23 advantage after 12.

Memphis’ hot shooting continued into the second-quarter, piling up the points in an explosive first-half display. Golden State’s defense needed to be more attentive, but at some point the opposition’s shooting was simply too good to comprehend. The hosts finished the half 12-for-19 from deep, putting up 71 points to maintain a 12-point lead despite improved Warrior offense.

The third-quarter was an up-and-down affair, yet was ultimately a good one for Golden State as the put up 41 points. They initially cut the lead to four early in the period, before Memphis re-established a double-digit lead. Enter Poole who relentlessly attacked Grizzlies’ wing Luke Kennard, getting to the line at will to score 17 points in less than five minutes to close the third.

The Warriors cut the lead to two early in the fourth, but from there they offered meek resistance as a close contest all of a sudden turned into a blowout. Following a 108-106 scoreline, Memphis went on a remarkable 21-3 run in just over five minutes.

Kuminga and Poole’s games were far from perfect, but they were productive enough to suggest the Warriors should have been on top if they’d have received standard games from their stars. Curry was almost embarrassingly outpointed by Dillon Brooks, Thompson lost the battle to opposition shooting guard Desmond Bane, and Draymond Green was perilous to stop Jaren Jackson Jr’s game-high 31 points.

In a vitally important game to their playoff chances, the Golden State starters were outscored 65-54 by their bench. In so many road games we’ve seen Curry get little support from others, but this loss was all on him and his four-time championship winning teammates.