A shorthanded Golden State Warriors team hit the floor in Memphis Friday to square off against the Grizzlies. Friday’s matchup would be the first of 2 straight games between the two ballclubs. After a win against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, the Warriors missed Stephen Curry, Eric Paschal, and James Wiseman due to injury.
No stars, no problem
Warriors second-year guard Jordan Poole showed he had carried the confidence of his recent play into the game, as he pulled up for a transition three for an early 5-0 lead. Poole has averaged 19 points per game over the last 5 games on 54 percent shooting. Despite trading mini runs over the next few minutes of the quarter, Memphis gained momentum to take a 5-point lead of their own. The lead was short-lived, however, with Andrew Wiggins fueling a 9 to 0 run for the Warriors. Averaging 17 points on the season, Wiggins came out aggressive and dropped a dozen in the first quarter alone. The Warriors’ run carried them to a 34-26 lead going into the second.
Five straight points for Brandon Clarke got Memphis right back in the game early in the second period. After having their lead cut to as little as 2 points, the Warriors stepped on the gas again to take their largest lead of the game. The rim looked wide open for Golden State, with three-pointers falling like free throws. Wiggins kept his hot hand burning, scoring 15 more in the second for 27 total points in the half. For one of their only bright spots of the quarter, Memphis’s Ja Morant flew through the lane to finish an acrobatic 360 layup near the end of the quarter. Nonetheless, his team trailed 48-67 at halftime.
A Poole of buckets
Everything seemed to go right for the starless Warriors to start the second half. Steve Kerr’s squad pushed their lead to 25 in the third and played comfortably throughout the entire period. Wiggins cooled off a bit, but Poole continued his aggression with efficiency. By the end of the third, he had tallied 23 points to help maintain the cushion for the Warriors. Although things seemed one-sided, Memphis managed to match the Warriors’ scoring in the period. The only problem is this meant they still trailed by 19 with 12 minutes to play.
Wiggins turned it back up in the fourth en route to his first 40-point game of the season. Memphis posed no real threat to get back in the game, and Kerr was able to empty his bench with just under 3 minutes left. The Warriors (22-20) went on to defeat Memphis (18-20) handily by a score of 116-103.
Season-high for Wiggins
Adding to his 40 points, Wiggins tallied 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals while hitting 6 of 11 trays. Poole continued his stellar play as of late, finishing with 25 points on 10 of 15 attempts. Plus, Damion Lee came off the bench to contribute 21 points and 5 rebounds of his own. Veteran Draymond Green made little effort to score the ball, as he only put up 2 points. However, he affected the game in other areas with 13 dimes and 11 boards.
“With [Curry] being out, it was like everybody had to step up,” Wiggins said. “I just tried to be aggressive from the start… I just tried to fill in as much as I could, do what I can to help the team go.”
Memphis’s scoring came in much less abundance. Morant and Grayson Allen each scored 14 to lead the way for the Grizz. Clarke chipped in 13, and Jonas Valanciunas added 10 with 16 boards – 10 of which came in the first quarter.
The two teams will face off in Memphis once again Saturday at 5:00 p.m. PST.
