SAN FRANCISCO — Early within the second quarter, Brandin Podziemski dash to a unfastened ball in entrance of the Warriors’ bench, caught up with it simply in time and flung a behind-the-back move up the court docket.
One way or the other, the blind move discovered a streaking Jonathan Kuminga, who began the play with a deflection within the paint, for a dunk.
Podziemski, Kuminga and the Warriors’ bench tallied a complete of 67 factors. It was the eleventh time in 12 video games that Golden State’s bench has scored at the very least 40.
Past the bench, the Warriors cruised to a straightforward win, sustaining a double-digit lead within the fourth quarter, behind its protection. Draymond Inexperienced (13 factors, eight rebounds, seven assists) was in all places and the Warriors took a number of prices whereas holding the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies to 7-for-42 capturing from 3.
The method on Friday has been the method for the Warriors all through their 10-2 begin: protection and depth. The mixture introduced them their second straight NBA Cup win — a 123-118 ultimate.
With out De’Anthony Melton, who’s nonetheless awaiting additional assessments on his sprained left ACL, the Warriors began Lindy Waters III. Waters had been out of Golden State’s rotation for the previous week, however gives capturing.
Waters fouled a 3-point shooter within the opening minutes, however made up for it by hitting a pair of 3s on the opposite finish. The Warriors needed to proceed with Melton within the starting-five and don’t but understand how lengthy he’ll be sidelined, in order that they’ll as soon as once more need to trial-and-error by way of beginning mixtures.
The starters performed Memphis even, and so did the bench in a tightly contested first quarter.
Golden State’s bench — with Draymond Inexperienced moonlighting as small-ball heart — ripped off a 10-2 run to begin the second quarter. The starters saved their lead regular, working in transition and limiting the Grizzlies to abysmal capturing from behind the arc.
Waters bought one other bucket after which made a terrific chase-down block after a Inexperienced turnover, however fell arduous and limped off the court docket with trainers. He was later dominated out with a left knee hyperextension.
Steph Curry was quiet within the first half, however two minutes after Waters exited, he swished an inconceivable fadeaway over two defenders alongside the baseline. That despatched Golden State into halftime with a 55-48 lead.
Inexperienced, who’s capturing 45% from 3 this season, hit a pair of triples early within the third quarter, making Friday his fourth straight sport with a number of 3s. Based on the staff, the Warriors at the moment are 140-30 within the common season in video games Inexperienced makes at the very least two 3s.
The surface pictures by no means fell for Memphis, and the Warriors saved getting defensive stops. Memphis shot 17% from deep within the first half and 16.7% complete.
Curry, on a tough capturing night time, took a cost on Jake LaRavia after which swiped Jaylen Wells within the backcourt earlier than hitting a 3.
A Podziemski nook 3 stretched the Warriors’ result in 14 and Buddy Hield’s 3 on the buzzer put the Warriors up by 15 getting into the fourth. It was their largest lead of the night time to that time.
With the Warriors’ lead ballooned to 18, Santi Aldama airballed a 3 from the nook, bringing Memphis’s 3-point capturing mark to 4-for-35 (11%). On the opposite finish, Inexperienced sank his third triple of the night time.
Inexperienced alone hit almost as many 3s because the Grizzlies. That’s how the night time went for Memphis.
The night time did, in reality, finish with two technical fouls on Inexperienced within the span of 33 seconds — his third and fourth of the yr. In an in any other case clean night time for the Warriors, Inexperienced added only a tad of turbulence.
