Category: NBA

Kings run by Warriors 141-119; Golden State drops third straight game

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By Jerry Feitelberg

Golden State Warriors beat writer

Without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the Warriors lost their third game in a row Thursday night. The host, Sacramento Kings, pasted them 141-119. The Warriors’ defense, without Green, was non-existent. The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox, coming off a 37-point performance against the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night, had a career-high 44 points to lead the Kings to an easy win over the Warriors.

The Kings shot 59% from the floor and connected on 19 threes in 38 attempts. When an NBA team puts up those offensive numbers, one can assume that the team will win.

The Warriors’ numbers weren’t that bad. They shot 51% from the floor and made 17 threes in 32 tries. They scored 119 points, and that should get a team a win. The Kings De’Aaron Fox, Ty Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Richaun Holmes could not be stopped.

The Warriors and Kings played a very competitive, fast-paced first quarter. Andrew Wiggins paced the Warrior attack, and they finished the first quarter leading 37-35. The Warriors led 47-46 after Nico Mannion made a three.

The Kings, behind De’Aaron Fox’s spectacular effort, started to pull away. The Kings won the quarter 37-24 to finish the first half leading 72-61. Fox led the Kings with 20. Haliburton had 17. Haliburton was five-for-six from downtown. Andrew Wiggins knocked down 20 for the Warriors. Nico Mannion made four threes, good for 12 points. No other Warrior was in double figures. James Wiseman did not score. Kelly Oubre tallied two. Jordan Poole had six. 

The Warriors knew they had to find a way to stop the very potent Sacramento offense. They had to come up with answers if they hoped to win the game. The Kings continued to attack the basket. Fox and company sped past the Warriors to finished the third quarter with a 20-point advantage 106-86. The Warriors Kelly Oubre played well in the quarter, but it was not enough. 

If a team trails by 20 heading into the fourth quarter in the NBA, they usually lose. The Warriors would have to outscore the Kings by 20 to tie the game. The Kings put up over thirty points in each of the first three periods. While it is possible, the Warriors couldn’t do it Thursday night.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors lost their third game in a row and are now 22-23 for the year. The Kings have now won five of the last six games and are now 20-25 for the season.

Curry missed the game with a bruised tailbone. Draymond Green did not feel well Thursday morning. He may be ready for Friday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Warriors made two trades on Thursday. They sent Brad Wanamaker to the Charlotte Hornets. Wanamaker will be a free agent at the year, and with the emergence of Jordaan Poole and Nico Mannion, he did not figure to be in the Warrior plans for the future.

In a move that surprised many Warrior fans, the team sent Marquese Chriss to the San Antonio Spurs. Chriss played well last year and figured in the Warriors plans for this season. Unfortunately for Chriss, he suffered a broken leg and was lost for the season. Rookie James Wiseman will be the Warriors’ starting center next year. Kevon Looney and Eric Paschall will be used on the second unit.

Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Wiggins was ten-for 18 from the floor and knocked down three threes in five tries. Kelly Oubre finished with 19. Nico Mannion also had 19. Mannion was five-for eight from downtown. Jordan Poole had 17. Juan Toscano-Anderson had 15 points, six boards, and four assists. Anderson was six for six from the floor, and he made three threes in three attempts. He did not miss a shot.

De’Aaron Fox had a career-high 44 points. It was his tenth game of the year with 30 or more points. Richaun Holmes had a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton had 21, Kyle Guy 20, and Buddy Hield 16.

The Warriors return home to face the new-look Atlanta Hawks. After firing their coach, the team, under Nate McMillan’s tutelage, have won eight in a row. They cooled off a bit, but they made news as they acquired Lou Williams in a trade with the LA Clippers. Williams, a two-time winner of the NBA’s sixth man of the year award, has killed the Warriors in the past. The Warriors will have their hands full Friday night.

The game will start at 7 pm Friday at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings win over Hawks proves something to themselves as they host Golden State tonight

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The Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Halliburton (0) passes to Harrison Barnes forward (40) with Atlanta Hawks foward John Collins (20) and Trae Young (1) defending on Wed Mar 24, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

#1 Tony the Kings (19-25) just got by the visiting Atlanta Hawks (22-22) with a two point victory 110-108 on Wednesday night at Golden One Center in Sacramento and it’s the fourth win out of six games for the Kings.

#2 Tony, once again if it weren’t for De’Aaron Fox no telling how the Kings would have ended up last night. Fox led the way with 37 points and all those points really counted especially after the Hawks out scored the Kings in the fourth quarter 34-25.

#3 Tony talk about Tyrese Halliburton who finished second in scoring with 17 points his efforts have been strong and have given the Kings leverage in some of their recent wins.

#4 Kings head coach Luke Walton had been questioned about his future with the team after they had got into a horrendous losing streak an eight game losing streak that extended from Feb 9th to Feb 25 it was a tough period do you believe this Kings team in March are much better than that Kings team back in February?

#5 Now comes the Golden State Warriors who will play the Kings tonight at Golden One they’ve been struggling they had a four game losing streak between Feb 28 to Mar 11 and recovered but have recently dropped two games to the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers. Is this a matter of a Warrior team playing without Stephen Curry or they’re just struggling with their young talent.

Join Tony for the Kings podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Fox, Kings edge Hawks 110-108

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Photo credit: @NBA

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night after an off day on Tuesday. The Kings last played on Monday as they took on the Cleveland Cavaliers. On Wednesday, the Kings on Wednesday managed to beat the Hawks at home by a final of 110-108. 

Flashback Monday: The Kings took care of business against a rebuilding Cleveland squad. The Kings never really trailed in the game as they beat or matched the Cavs in each of the four quarters. It was a win the Kings should have gotten and Kings fans were happy they executed.

Wednesday Night Recap: The Kings were set to take on the Atlanta Hawks at 7:00 PM PST at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. 

In the first half, it was a pretty even contest. The Kings outscored the Hawks 29-27 in the opening quarter as the Kings came out of the gate motivated. In the second quarter, neither team could really find a defensive rhythm as the Hawks outscored the Kings 30-28. Going into halftime, the game was up for grabs with the score tied at 57 apiece. The Kings looked to avoid a third quarter slump and come out strong in the second half.

In the second half, the Kings defense was sporadic. The Kings managed to hold the Hawks to only 17 points in the third as the Kings put up 27. This launched the Kings into the driver’s seat heading into the final quarter up by 10 points. In the fourth quarter, the Hawks made a run, but ultimately came up short. Atlanta outscored the Kings by a mighty 34-25 and almost took the game from Sacramento. However, the Kings prevailed by a final of 110-108. It was a hard-fought win for the Kings, who seemed to step up when it counted. De’Aaron Fox led all scorers in the game with 37 points as Trae Young managed 29 points in the contest for the Hawks. The Kings look to keep the momentum going in their next contest. 

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night at 7 PM PST. 

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors lose lead to Sixers; Tip off against Kings on Thursday night

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Golden State Warriors rookie center James Wiseman (right) looks overwhelmed by defender Ben Simmons center of the Philadelphia 76ers on Tue Mar 23, 2021 at the Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

#1 Just wanted to give pause first about the passing of the Los Angeles Lakers great Elgin Baylor who died this week at the age of 86. Baylor revolutionized the game with his ability to put on an aerial show of sorts and was a role model for the modern player.

#2 In Golden State Warriors news the Warriors sank another tough game now losing four of their last seven games this time to the Philadelphia 76ers 108-98 it was the Sixers fifth straight road win. The Warriors got within a point of the Sixers but the Sixers quickly pulled away and got the ten point win.

#3 The Warriors are in Sacramento on Thursday night at Golden One Center. The Kings have won six of their 11 games and have played a little over .500 ball. With the Warriors in Sacramento how do you see this match up on Thursday night.

Join David for the Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor Wed Mar 24, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Warriors come back from 24-point deficit not enough to beat the Sixers 108-98

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The Philadelphia 76ers Tony Bradley (11) center and guard Ben Simmons (25) exchange congratulations as the Sixers pick up their fifth consecutive road win over the Golden State Warriors on Tue Mar 23, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (@sixers photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, still without Stephen Curry’s services, faced a daunting task Tuesday night as they squared off against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers own the best record in the NBA east, 30-13, and the NBA’s second-best record. Their best player, Joel Embiid, was out with an injury.

The Sixers, coached by Doc Rivers, have been the hottest team in the NBA in March. Philadelphia averaged 120 points a game, and their defense is one of the best in the league. The Warriors’ defense had their work cut out for them if they hoped to win. The team welcomed back James Wiseman and Kevon Looney after they passed the necessary Covid-19 protocols. The Warriors even with Wiseman and Looney in the line up couldn’t close the Sixers losing Tuesday night 108-98.

The Sixers dominated the first half of play. The Warriors defense had no answers as the Sixers raced out to a 35-19 lead after 12 minutes of playing time. Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Tony Bradley led the onslaught. The Warriors regrouped in the second quarter as they cut the deficit to 14 at the end of the first half, 59-45.

Damion Lee, coming off the bench, led the Warriors with nine. Kelly Oubre also had nine. Jordan Poole had eight. Andre Wiggins and Draymond Green each had two. The Sixers’ Tobias Harris had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Ben Simmons and Tony Bradley each had 12.

The Sixers appeared to be on their way to a blowout win over the Warriors. The Warriors had lost eight games by 20 or more points so far this season. They did not want to make it nine. The Warriors offense lit up the board with 40 points while holding them to 19 to finish the third period with a five-point lead 85-80. 

The Warriors were playing well on both ends of the court. They had their biggest lead of the night, 92-86, when things went south. Behind the big three of Simmons, Bradley, and Harris, the Sixers went on a 22-6 run to beat the Warriors by ten 108-98. The Sixers showed the Warriors that they are one of the best teams in the NBA because they know how to win in crunch time. 

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 22-22 for the season. The Sixers improved to 31-13. 

The Warriors’ head coach announced that Curry would miss another week due to a contusion on his tailbone. He will miss games against the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, and Chicago Bulls. 

Kelly Oubre had a double-double with 24 points and ten rebounds to lead the Warriors’ offense. Jordan Poole knocked down 19 and was two-for-nine from behind the three-point arc. Damion Lee, coming off the bench, had 16. He made two threes. Wiggins finished with 14. James Wiseman had 11. Draymond Green had six points, nine boards, and six assists. The W’s shot 43 % from the floor and connected on eight three in 25 tries. The Sixers outrebounded them 63-51. 

The Sixers had six players in double-figures. Tobias Harris had a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Tony Bradley, too, had a double-double with 18 points and 11 boards, Ben Simmons had 22, Shake Milton 13, Furkan Korkmaz 12, and Danny Green 11.

The Warriors play the Kings in Sacramento Thursday night. Tip off at 7 pm.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings Take Care of the Cavaliers 119-105

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The Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) drives on the Cleveland Cavaliers Isaac Okor (35) in the second half on Mon Mar 22, 2021 at the Rocket Mortgage House in Cleveland (AP News photo)

Kings Take Care of the Cavaliers 119-105

By Barbara Mason

Monday night the Sacramento Kings took on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Kings currently sit in 13th place in the Western Conference while
The Cavs are in 12th place in the Eastern.

This game pits two fiery but desperate teams; with the Cavaliers playing
at their home court Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Cleveland is 16-26
overall and 11-11 at home. The Kings are favored by four points in the
latest odds. Their record is currently 17-25.

On the Cleveland side they averaged 114.3 points in their last three
games and prior to that they were unable to score 100 in three games.
Matthew Dellavedova was out of Sunday’s game due to an
appendectomy and missed tonight’s game.

On their current road trip the Kings have lost three of the first four games.
After the debacle against the Sixers and the extremely poor first quarter
play the Kings will be looking to start a whole faster. They could use a lot
of help from their defense and they will be depending heavily on De’Aaron
Fox and Buddy Hield on offense. Off the bench Tyrese Haliburton needs
to have a good game.

The Kings did exactly what they needed to do to win this game. Fox
finished with 30 points and Haliburton was great off the bench with
28 points. Hield had 19 and Richaun Holmes finished with 17. It
was a great effort by the Kings. They led after the first quarter and at the
half. Sacramento turned it on in the second half leading after three 90-76.

The Cavs top starter was Darius Garland with 17 points and Javale McGee
who had 18 off the bench. It was just not enough to turn away the Kings
who won the contest 119-105.

The Kings will meet the Hawks on Wednesday looking for another solid
performance. This will be a much tougher assignment and they will need
everyone on board for this one.

76ers blow out the Kings 129-105

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Photo credit: @NBCSKings

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were back on the court on Saturday night. After playing on Friday in Boston, the Kings traveled to take on the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night. The Kings weren’t able to math the 76ers and fell 129-105 in regulation. 

Flashback Friday: The Sacramento Kings did something they hadn’t done since 2007 on Friday night. That feat was beating the Boston Celtics in Boston. The Kings had a very uncharacteristic win on Friday beating the Celtics 107-96. The Kings defense is what was on display on Friday as they held the Celtics to only 15 points in the fourth quarter. 

Saturday night recap: The Kings were set to take on the 76ers on Saturday at 4:30 PM PST in Philadelphia. 

In the first half, the Kings didn’t play particularly great. It was the teams defense that let them down again. The first quarter saw the 76ers outscore the Kings 42-21. It was an embarrassing defensive performance for a team not known much for defense as it is. In the second quarter, the Kings offense picked up the pace, but the defense remained ineffective. The Kings and 76ers both scored 31 points in the second quarter. An improvement on the first quarter for the Kings, but not really enough to close the 20-point gap heading into halftime. The score at half was 73-52 76ers on top. 

In the second half, the Kings played better, but didn’t get the effort they needed to perform a comeback. The third quarter saw the 76ers outscore the Kings again 33-28 and saw the lead grow to 26 points. At this point, playing the final quarter was just a formality. The Kings outscored the 76ers in the fourth quarter 25-23, but came up drastically short of mounting a comeback. The Kings ultimately fell 129-105 in the city of brotherly love. 

Tobias Harris led the victorious 76ers with 29 points as Buddy Hield led the Kings in defeat with 25 points. It was a tough pill for the Kings to swallow after their improved play of late. The Kings fell to 17-25 as the 76ers improved to 29-14 (Best in the Eastern Conference) on the season.

Up Next: The Kings travel to Cleveland for the final game of their six game road trip to play the Cavaliers at 4:30 PM PST on Monday. 

Grizzlies turn the tables on the Warriors, 111-103

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Grizzlies Saturday night at FedEx Forum in Memphis.

The Warriors were hoping to sweep the two-game set to win their third in a row. The Warriors were again without the services of Steph Curry, James Wiseman, and Eric Paschall. To make matters worse, the Warriors announced Kevon Looney would not play as he, too, was exposed to someone with the Covid-19 virus and, by NBA protocol, will not be available for 10 days.

What this meant for the Dubs was they had to play small ball once again. Draymond Green and Juan Toscano-Anderson would have to be the centers. Steve Kerr had Alen Smailagic available, too. Smiley did get into the game, but he played just eight minutes and committed five personal fouls. The Grizzlies Jonas Valanciunas took advantage of the smaller Warrior centers and lead his team with 19 points. The Grizzlies and Warriors played a very competitive game. The defense was the key as the Grizzlies held the Warriors to 34.4% from the floor. The Warriors held Memphis to 37.9%. The Grizzlies had just enough oomph to win 111-103.

The Warriors’ Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins paced the Warrior offense with 26 and 20 points. The Warrior offense did not do well in the first half, even though it finished with a two-point lead, 51-49. They shot 31% from the floor. Memphis was not much better. They shot 37.8%

The Warriors had a chance to win the game. Jordan Poole hit a three to give the Warriors a slim lead, 100-99, with 2:43 to play. The Grizzlies then went on an 8-0 run to lead 107-100 with 50 seconds left. Poole hit another three to make it 107-103. The Grizzlies scored the last four points of the game to win 111-103.

Game Notes and Stats: Steph Curry missed his second game in a row with a contusion on his tailbone. He is still in pain and may not play next Tuesday when the Warriors play the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Jordan Poole continued his amazing turnaround Saturday night. The second-year player from Michigan knocked down 26 points to go along with four rebounds and five assists. He was 10-for-21 from the floor and connected on three threes. Andrew Wiggins, who scored 40 points Friday night, kicked in 20 points Saturday. Wiggins pulled down seven rebounds. The other Warriors in double figures were Kelly Oubre, Jr. and Juan Toscano-Anderson. Kelly, playing with a sore ankle, had 12 points and six boards. Toscano-Anderson had 11 points, six rebounds, and six assists. He made three threes in five tries. Draymond Green finished with seven points, eight rebounds, and three assists. The Warriors had eight steals, seven blocked shots, and forced 12 Memphis turnovers. 

The Grizzlies had six players in double figures. Dillon Brooks joined Valanciunas with 19 points. Brandon Clarke and Desmond Bane, coming off the bench, had 16 and 15 points, respectively. Ja Morant finished with 14 points.

With the loss, the Warriors are 22-21 for the year. The Grizzlies improved to 19-20.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm PST.

Holmes, Kings defeat Celtics 107-96

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Photo credit: @NBA

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Friday night. The Kings season has been “stuck” for lack of better terms in the middle of the pack in the Western Conference. The Kings have a very narrow path to the postseason, and with every passing game, that road gets narrower. However, the Kings continued to keep that door slightly open with their winning as of late. The Kings took on the Boston Celtics on Friday night and won by the final 107-96 at the TD Garden in Boston.

Flashback Wednesday: In the Kings’ previous game, they took on the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. The Kings played a well-rounded good game. However, things got dicey in the last quarter. The Kings took a comfortable lead into the fourth quarter, but the Wizards came all the way back. The Kings were fortunate that Russell Westbrook threw the ball out of bounds to seal the Wizards’ fate against the Kings. The Kings won the ball game 121-119. 

Friday Night Recap: On Friday, the Kings took on the Boston Celtics in Boston at 4:30 PM PST.

In the first half, the Kings outplayed the Celtics all the way. The Kings managed to outscore the Celtics in the first quarter 28-22. The Kings defense was on display as they held the Celtics to a modest 22 points. In the second quarter, the Kings continued to play good defense. As we know is true with the Kings, the Kings’ defense led to offense. The Kings held the Celtics to 23 points in the second quarter and 45 points at halftime. The Kings took a 55-45 point lead into the half, looking to build on that and take a win from the Celtics.

In the second half, it was a very up-and-down game. In the third quarter, the Kings played one of their worst quarters of the season coming out of halftime. The Kings weren’t able to carry any first half momentum over and were outscored 36-27 in the quarter. The Kings needed to get the defense back on track if they wanted to win the game. In the fourth quarter, the Kings’ defense held the Celtics to 15 points as they outscored Boston 25-15 in the fourth quarter. The Kings won the game 107-96.

It was a great win in Boston, a place the Kings haven’t won a game since 2007. The Kings look to keep their momentum going having won their last two games on Saturday. De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 29 points, while Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 19 points. 

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers on Saturday, March 20 at 5 PM PST.

Warriors, behind Andrew Wiggins’ fantastic performance, romp past Grizzlies 116-103

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Photo credit: @TheNBACentral

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors faced a daunting task Friday night as they found themselves down three players against the Memphis Grizzlies. Their superstar, Steph Curry, was injured Wednesday in Houston. He suffered a contusion on his tailbone and was not able to play. James Wiseman and Eric Paschall were exposed to someone with the coronavirus, and by NBA protocol, they could not play. They will miss two more games. Kelly Oubre, Jr. was also injured in the Houston game, but he was able to play. Jordan Poole started in place of Curry. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr knew hoped someone would step up and help propel the Warriors to a win. That someone was Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins had a season-high 40 points to lead the Warriors to an easy 116-103 win over the young Memphis Grizzlies.

Jordan Poole continued to play well since his return from the G-League. He has found his game and has shown the Warriors that he was not another first-round draft pick that was a bust. Poole knocked down 25 points and connected on three threes from downtown. 

The Warriors played well on both ends of the court. They had great ball movement all night long. They recorded 31 assists on 44 made baskets. Their defense was outstanding as they held the Grizzlies’ budding superstar, Ja Morant, to 14 points. The Warriors stole the ball 13 times, blocked six shots, and forced 20 turnovers. They scored 30 points off the 20 Memphis turnovers.

The teams played a very competitive first quarter. Memphis led 23-18 about two thirds through the period. The Warriors, behind Wiggins, Poole, and Damion Lee, finished the first 12 minutes of play with a 16-3 run to lead 34-26. Wiggins tallied 12 points, and Poole had eight points.

The Warriors continued to run and attack. Wiggins scored 15 more points to pace the Warriors to a 67-48 halftime lead. Wiggins finished with a career-high 27 points. It was the most points that he had ever scored in any half of basketball in his career. Poole finished the half with 17 points.

The Grizzlies failed to cut the deficit in the third quarter. The teams each scored 24 points in the period. The Warriors led by 19 after three periods 91-72. Kevon Looney, Damion Looney, and Wiggins all played well.

The Grizzlies won the fourth quarter 31-25. Most of the points came well after the game had been decided. The Warriors won 116-103.

Game Notes and stats: The Warriors won their second game in a row to improve to 22-20 for the season. Memphis dropped to 18-20.

Andrew Wiggins had quite a night with 40 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. He was 12-for-24 from the floor, and he connected on six threes in 11 tries. It was Wiggins’ best game as a Warrior. Jordan Poole’s line was 25 points, two rebounds, and two assists. He made 10 buckets in 15 attempts. He made three threes. Damion Lee, coming off the bench, also played well. Lee finished with 21 points, and knocked down four threes. Kevon Looney tied his season-high with 11 points.

Ja Morant and Grayson Allen led the Grizzlies with 14 points each. Their big center, Jonas Valanciunas, had a double-double with 10 points and 16 boards. Brandon Clarke, coming off the bench, had 13 points.

Up Next: The Warriors face the Grizzlies again Saturday night in Memphis. The game will start at 5 pm PST.