Grizzlies Dominate Warriors in Historic Blowout
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — In a game that will be remembered for its sheer dominance, the Memphis Grizzlies delivered a performance that left the Golden State Warriors reeling. By the time Jake LaRavia nailed a 3-pointer to push the Grizzlies to a staggering 123-66 lead early in the fourth quarter, the night was already over for Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
The Golden State Warriors experienced a brutal and humiliating evening, culminating in a 144-93 loss to the Grizzlies at FedEx Forum. This marked the largest margin of victory in the NBA this season. In a shocking twist, Curry and Green failed to make a field goal in a game together for the first time in their careers.
The Grizzlies, who have now won 11 of their past 13 games, effectively shut down Curry, limiting him to just two points and 0-for-7 shooting, including 0-for-6 from beyond the arc. This was Curry’s most field goal attempts and most minutes (24) without a make in his 16-year career. Green, on the other hand, went scoreless, missing all four of his shots in 19 minutes.
“Damn, that happened,” Green remarked upon learning of the historic futility. “Oh s—. That’s crazy … they did a good job. Give them some credit.”
Frustrated by foul trouble, Green ended the night with a shocking minus-42, while Curry was a minus-41. “First time for everything, right?” Curry said. “I never thought that would be a situation or a result of the game. From the very jump, they kind of punched us in the mouth. We didn’t have an answer. … That was kind of embarrassing.”
Golden State, now 14-12, has lost nine of its past 11 games after a promising 12-3 start. Three of those losses have been by four points or fewer, with the Warriors struggling to score in the clutch. However, this game was different, as they appeared overmatched from the outset.
The Grizzlies opened with a 13-2 lead and never looked back. By halftime, the Warriors trailed by 31 points, and the deficit ballooned to 46 when coach Steve Kerr pulled his starters with 5:09 left in the third quarter. Memphis set a franchise record with 27 3-pointers and suffocated Golden State defensively.
“It was just a humbling night all around,” Kerr admitted. “I mean, they took it to us. They were great. We just couldn’t get anything going. … You lose by 51. That’s humbling. So what I know about this team, this is the second time we’ve been blown out. We got blown out in Cleveland early in the season, so I know who we are. I know what our team is about. I know we’ve got competitors. I know we’re going to bounce back and we’re going to regroup, so I’m not concerned about that. But we’ve got a lot of work to do to execute.”
Despite the massive loss, the Warriors’ locker room wasn’t devastated. Kerr, Curry, and Green all expressed confidence in the team’s ability to rebound. “I expect us to respond,” Green said, looking ahead to the Warriors’ next game in Minnesota on Saturday.
Newly acquired Dennis Schroder made his debut, starting the game as Kerr moved Jonathan Kuminga to the second unit after the power forward started the previous six games. Kerr’s decision to start Green and Kevon Looney to set a defensive tone didn’t pan out as planned.
Schroder struggled, shooting just 2-for-12 and finishing with 5 points and 5 assists. However, Green was quick to point out that Schroder wasn’t to blame for the loss.
This game marked the Warriors’ third 50-point defeat under Kerr and the second during this calendar year (140-88 at Boston on March 3). “That was a rough one, too,” Curry reflected. “[But] I like the vibes [around the team] better right now.
“We are going to keep saying it because I genuinely believe it — we are better than what we have been playing. We are better than what we have shown tonight. The vibes are way better. It’s nice to say it, but you got to do something about it, and I feel like we can. Just wait and see.”
Originally Written by: Ohm Youngmisuk
