By: Ben Leonard
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The Grizzlies’ stout defense had been the Achilles heel of the Warriors so far in this series. Memphis got a taste of its own medicine on Wednesday at Oracle Arena, falling 98-78 to the high-flying Warriors. So when Stephen Curry was in MVP form and Klay Thompson finally found success, it spelled doom for the Grizzlies, who find themselves in a 3-2 hole with the series heading back to Memphis.

It didn’t help that lockdown defender Toney Allen was out with a hamstring injury. Without his presence on the outside, Golden State was able to make 14 of 30 attempts from downtown, including outscoring Memphis 27-3 from long range in the first half. Vince Carter and Jeff Greens simply could not replicate the jolt of energy that Allen brings to the court.With no three point shooters in Memphis’ lineup, the Warriors were able to coast after burying the Grizzlies early. Golden State was up eight at the half, but it felt like much more, especially after being down 13 points early, eventually leading 74-57 at the end of the third quarter.

After finding themselves down 2-1 in the series, the Warriors have rediscovered their regular season mojo, namely strong defense and outside shooting. Curry was a huge part of the Warriors’ resurgence, scoring 18 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and dishing out 6 assists. He went 6 of 16 from three, and took just three shots from inside the arc, missing all of them. But it’s not like the Warriors need him to drop 50. Klay Thompson, who had struggled in the series’ early going, scored a game high 21 points for Golden State, making 3 of his 4 three point attempts, going 7 of 16 from the floor overall.

Marc Gasol had a solid game in a losing effort, scoring 18 points while pulling down 12 rebounds. However, it wasn’t enough with Draymond Green locking down fellow big man Zach Randolph, who was held to just 13 points by Green’s tight defense. Randolph and the Grizzlies face elimination on Friday night when they return to Memphis. The Warriors have the momentum in this series, and will get another chance to defend their home court even if they lose Friday. Good luck, Memphis.