Morant Leads Grizzlies To Win Over Warriors 115-108

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) shoots against Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney (5) and forwards Andre Iguodala (9) and Andrew Wiggins (22) in Memphis on Tue Jan 11, 2022 (AP News photo)

Morant Leads Grizzlies To Win Over Warriors 116-108

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (30-10) took on the red-hot Memphis Grizzlies (29-14). Memphis is riding on a nine-game winning streak and they will make the Warriors work for this game. They are led by Ja Morant one of the best point guards in the game today. The absence of Draymond Green would be a factor in this game. So a lot of tough challenges in this game for Golden State.

The Warriors were outplayed in the first half. The ugly turnovers were an issue and the three points shooting was almost non-existent. Golden State was three of 13 from downtown. The Warriors have been struggling offensively especially from long range and the Grizzlies have a solid offense and defense that turned the Warriors away shot after shot.

Many of the turnovers from Golden State were due to the unrelenting defense of Memphis. With the Grizzlies leading 59-51 and under one minutes left in the half, the Warriors wanted to make a small run before the clock ran out. At the half. the Warriors had cut an 18 point deficit to eight.

The points off of the 12 Warrior turnovers were hurting them while the Grizzlies were fueled by three point shots the entire half. Ja Morant finished the first half with 18 points. Going into this game we all knew he was going to be a handful and he certainly was in the first half.

Stephen Curry had 12 points and Andrew Wiggins finished the half with ten. In the third quarter the Warriors had to limit those turnovers and do their best to contain Morant.

The Warriors started the third quarter with two steals and just like that had cut the Grizzlies lead to 59-56. Golden State came alive in the second half and the three’s starting dropping giving the Warriors a 71-66 lead. Midway through the third the game had totally flipped.

We saw a different defense from the Warriors in the third quarter and Memphis starting missing those long balls. As the quarter began to run out the two teams began trading the lead. The Warriors led after three quarters 90-87.

The Grizzlies led for much of the fourth quarter by the slimmest of margins. At 6:15 Memphis led 103-99. With both Curry and Klay Thompson on the sidelines this game was in jeopardy. With 4:39 left in this game the splash brothers came in to finish the game.

The hottest team in tne NBA would try to hold off the Warriors with 2:48 left on the clock. A missed three by Golden State and Ja Morant finished off the Warriors 116-108.

The Grizzlies took 100 shots in this game to the Warriors 80, not a winning formula The turnovers killed Golden State giving Memphis their tenth win in a row. The Warriors fought hard in the second half but it was the first half deficit that lost this game for Golden State. Points off turnovers were disastrous for the Warriors.

The Warriors will now head off to Milwaukee to take on the World Champs Thursday. The tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: After 941 days of waiting Big Splashy Return for Thompson

Klay Thompson is seen here on Mon Jan 3, 2022 taking practice shots before the Golden State Warriors host the Miami Heat at the Chase Center. Thompson debuted in his first game back in two and half years on Sun Jan 9, 2022 against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Chase Center (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Talk about Klay Thompson’s return?

#2 Kevon Looney had an exceptional defensive game that played a great part in this win.

#3 Stephen Curry sure got back on track after two loses in a row the most the team has suffered since the season started.

#4 What are Steve Kerr’s thoughts about the return of Thompson?

#5 The next game up for the Warriors will be against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night in Memphis. How do you see this game?

Join Barbara for the Warrior podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Grizzlies boat race Kings to 127-102 finish at Golden One Center; Memphis ends 3 game skid

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) and center Steven Adams (4) are two on one against the Sacramento Kings forward Chimezie Metu (7) in the first quarter at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Dec 26, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (13-21) were back in action on Sunday afternoon after the Christmas break. The Kings welcomed the Memphis Grizzlies (20-14) to town in what was hoped to be a solid matchup between the two teams from the west. Unfortunately for Kings fans, the Grizzlies boat raced the Kings at home 127-102 on Sunday afternoon.

In the first quarter, both teams got off to a slow start on the offensive end of the floor. The Kings slow start on offense wasn’t as dire of a situation as it could have been. The Grizzlies also struggled to get the ball in the basket early. The Kings managed to pick up the pace on offense towards the end of the quarter, scoring the Grizzlies 24-20.

Damian Jones gave the Kings the best minutes in the first quarter as he scored nine points. The Grizzlies were led in the first quarter by Desmond Bane, who scored nine points for the Grizzlies.

In the second quarter, both teams played relatively the same. The Grizzlies picked up their play on the offensive end and outscored the Kings 29-26. Neither team had a momentum surge in the first half. The Kings and Grizzlies went back in fourth.

The Kings would lead the game 50-49 going into halftime. Damian Jones had 11 first-half points, followed by Harrison Barnes with 10 points leading the way for the Kings on offense in the first half. The Grizzlies got their most significant contribution in the first half from Desmond Bane, who scored 15 points. It felt like whichever team went on a run in the third quarter would win the game.

In the third quarter, the Grizzlies went on a run. In the third quarter, the Kings defense fell apart as they allowed the Grizzlies to score 40 points. The Kings only managed to score 27 points during the barrage from the Grizzlies in the third quarter.

The Kings would fight back towards the end of the quarter to pull a bit closer, but they would still trail 89-77 going into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, it was more of the same. The Kings defense continued to be atrocious as the Grizzlies scored 38 points. On the other hand, the Kings offense only managed to put up 25 points.

It was maybe the worst Kings loss of the season as the Kings core showed no heart down the stretch “This is the most disappointed I’ve been in my 34 years in the NBA” said Kings head coach Alvin Gentry.

As a result, the Kings lost the game by the final of 127-102. There wasn’t much to say after this loss for the Kings. They played without much heart and allowed the Grizzlies to run rough shot over them. The Kings would have to look to Tuesday to game back in the win column.

Up Next: The Kings will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday at 7 PM PST.

Short Handed Warriors Beat Memphis 113-104; Curry scores 46 points

The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) is floored after scoring a three pointer on a night the Warriors were shorthanded. Curry made up the difference scoring 46 points against Dillon Brooks (24) and the Memphis Grizzlies at the Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

Short-Handed Warriors Beat Memphis 113-104; Curry scores 46 pts

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors(26-6) would really like a little revenge tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies (19-4) however they have their backs absolutely slammed against the wall. Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Damien Lee and Andre Iguodala will not be on the court tonight. The team is still awaiting the return of Klay Thompson and James Wiseman so this game against the Grizzlies will be a major challenge.

Memphis has been a real pain in the rear for Golden State. They knocked the Warriors out of the play-in tournament in a disappointing defeat last season. The Grizzlies beat the Warriors in their first loss of this season 104-101 in a very tight game.The Grizzlies are currently 19-13 while the Warriors are 25-6. Golden State is in second place in the Western Conference and the Grizzlies are holding down fourth place in the same division.

The Grizzlies came out with a vengeance leading after the first quarter 31-27. The Warriors remained just within striking distance but had failed to take the lead.

The Warriors remained competitive trailing by two points with just over three minutes left in the half. After Stephen Curry made a technical free throw, Nemanja Bjelica had a chance to take a one point lead just before the half but missed. The Grizzlies led by a single point 53-52 after two quarters. Despite being without some key players, the Warriors were playing a solid game. They came mentally prepared for this game and it really showed.

The Warriors took the lead early in the third quarter 55-53. This was the largest lead of the night for Golden State. The good news was the fact that the Warriors are a third and fourth quarter team. Mid-way through the quarter the Warriors began to extend their lead 73-66. Curry came unleashed even though Memphis was all over him shooting 5 of 8 from downtown. As the third quarter began to wind down the Warriors led 78-73 in a real head-knocker, The one thing that was certain was that you could not count Memphis out. The Grizzlies fought back and in the final seconds of the quarter trailed 84-83.

Curry was doing his best to take this game home but the Grizzlies just would not go away. Every time Memphis got within striking distance, Curry reminded them who was in charge on this court. Just when the Warriors looked to be on course for a win turnovers began to take a toll on the team. Three in a row would not win this game. They had a few minutes to clean this up.

In the final two minutes Golden State delivered the knockout punch. The Warriors took this game away as the clock ran out winning 113-104. Curry had another amazing performance finishing with 46 points and 8 of 14 from downtown.

Off the bench Gary Payton had a great game with 22 points. He was asked about the difficulty of guarding superstar Ja Morant. “I just tried to wear him down, make it tough for him,” said Payton after the game His offense and defense was off the charts and the hard work he has put in has really shown in his shooting especially from downtown. Curry’s night was amazing but he has a cast of great support and together they won this game.

So the Warriors despite being short-handed got their revenge in this win. They will have another challenge on Christmas Day against the Western Conference leaders, the Phoenix Suns. Tipoff is schedule for 2:00 PM.

Grizzlies clobber Kings 124-105; Sac has lost four of last five games

Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (24) drives past the Sacramento Kings center Damian Jones (30) at Golden One Arena in Sacramento on Fri Dec 17, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Kings were back in action against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night at home. The Kings last played on Wednesday when they took on the Washington Wizards.

The Kings handled the Wizards, defeating them 119-105. However, on Friday, the Kings were significantly short-handed. Kings head coach Alvin Gentry had tested positive for Covid earlier this week, and many staff members and players had to enter protocols as a result.

The players who missed Friday’s matchup were De’Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell, and Alex Len. The short-handed Kings would try their best against the Grizzlies but ultimately fell 124-105.

In the first quarter, the Kings and Grizzlies both got off to a solid start on the offensive end. However, neither team’s defense looked outstanding as the shots fell for both teams. The Kings scored 31 points in the first quarter as the Grizzlies put up 29.

In the first quarter, the severely short-handed Kings got a much-needed lift from Harrison Barnes as he led the game with eight points. On the other hand, the Grizzlies got six points from De’Anthony Melton.

It was a very inconsistent quarter for the Kings in the second quarter. The Kings played great in the first half of the quarter. However, as the quarter came to a close, the Kings unraveled. The Kings built a 50-35 lead with 5:50 left in half, but it was short-lived.

The Kings lost the lead almost as quickly as they made it by the sloppy defense and unnecessary turnovers. The Kings had nine turnovers in the second quarter and 11 in the game, leading to 17 points so far. The Kings were outscored by the Grizzlies 29-25 in the second quarter.

The Kings were led by Harrison Barnes in the first half, who scored 15 points. Dillion Brooks led the way in the first half for the Grizzlies with 13 points. The Grizzlies took their 58-56 lead into the second half against the Kings. The Kings would need to clean up the messy play in the second half to have a chance at winning the game.

In the third quarter, the Kings meltdown continued. The Kings allowed the Grizzlies to score 33 points in the third quarter, but that wasn’t the biggest problem. The Kings offense only scored 19 points in the third. So, the Kings were left with a massive deficit heading into the final quarter 91-75.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings showed some heart but ultimately fell to the Grizzlies 124-105. The Grizzlies outscored the Kings 33-30 in the final quarter to finish off the blowout of the Kings. The Kings held their own in the first half but could not contain the duo of Jaren Jackson and Dillon Brooks, who had 21 and 23 points respectively.

The Kings were led in defeat by Tyrese Haliburton, who scored 21 points. It was a disappointing game for the Kings, who were also short-handed due to Covid.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday at 3 PM PST at Golden One Center.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Aaron Fox who led Kings in scoring Wed is in Covid 19 protocols

Sacramento Kings Doug Christie assistant coach filling in for head coach Alvin Gentry seen here giving instructions during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Dec 15, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Sacramento Kings (12-17) topped the Washington Wizards (15-14) 119-105 at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wednesday night. The Kings guard De’Aaron Fox who led the Kings in scoring with 28 points was put on Covid 19 protocols and will not be playing on Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies at Golden One Center.

#2 Harrison Barnes who finished with 19 points and scored 15 in the fourth quarter and that really was a difference maker after the Kings won by four points.

#3 Barnes had two three point plays and a three pointer himself that helped the Kings snap their three game losing streak.

#4 Assistant coach Doug Christie coached and led the Kings to victory on Wednesday night. Head coach Alvin Gentry, Marvin Bagley III, and Terence Davis were all out for Covid 19 protocols.

#5 The Memphis Grizzlies (18-11) who have won seven of their last eight games and defeated the Portland Trailblazers (11-18) on Wednesday night 113-103 are coming to Golden One Center tonight you’ll be covering tonight’s thriller how do you see this match up?

Join Jeremiah for the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Grizzlies overtake poor-shooting Kings 128-101

Sacramento Kings forward Chimezie Metu (7) takes a shot against Memphis Grizzlies forwards Kyle Anderson (1) and Maurice Harkless (8) in the first half on Sun Nov 28, 2021 in Memphis (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Sunday, November 28, 2021

A poor shooting night by Sacramento, combined with the one-two scoring punch of Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane, helped the Grizzlies defeat the Kings 128-101 Sunday in Memphis, snapping a two-game losing streak.

Brooks led the Grizzlies with 21 points, followed by Bane with 18. Jaren Jackson Jr, contributed 17 points and nine rebounds, and Brandon Clarke added 15 points with De’Anthony Melton scoring 14 off the bench.

Buddy Hield was the Kings’ leading scorer with 14 points, despite making 5 of 17 from the field and missing 8 of 9 3-point attempts. Terence Davis was next for Sacramento with 13 points, followed by De’Aaron Fox with 12.

The Kings made 34 percent of their floor shots, including 9 of 42 behind the arc.

The Grizzlies were playing their first game without leading scorer Ja Morant, who was out due to a knee injury suffered Friday against Atlanta. Memphis collectively stepped up, hitting 15 of its 21 shots in the first half as the Grizzlies built a 76-52 halftime lead.

Sacramento trailed 106-74 after three quarters. The Kings were without forwards Harrison Barnes, Maurice Harkness and Richaun Holmes – all were held out of the lineup due to various ailments.

The Kings are 2-2 under interim coach Alvin Gentry, who took over after Luke Walton was fired last week. They return home to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.

Memphis Hands Golden State First Loss 104-101

The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry takes a spill after scoring against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Oct 28, 2021 (AP News photo)

Memphis Hands Golden State First Loss 104-101

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (4-1) came into tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies (3-2) with a perfect 4-0 record. They had to fight tooth and nail to win their last game against the young OKC squad who gave them quite a fight. Golden State made alot of errors and the Thunder wasted no time taking advantage of those mistakes.

Against the Grizzlies, the Warriors will have to have a much better start than they did in their last outing and clean up those turnovers. After the scare last Tuesday it’s a good bet that we will see a different start tonight against Memphis. Also the Warriors are sixth in the league in rebounding and so that is another facet that they will be depending on.

The Grizzlies have weapons of their own with Ja Morant who is relentless in attacking the basket. They also have Desmond Bane who has averaged 19.2 points per game. The problem for Memphis is that outside of Bane the Grizzlies do not take many 3”s. They are good on the interior but it’s hard to match the Warriors without perimeter shooting. The Grizzlies would come out play the Warriors for the Warriors first loss of the season 104-101 on Thursday night.

It was a monster first quarter for Golden State; the exact start they wanted to see. The Warriors shot 58% in the first quarter leading 37-20. Otto Porter Jr. was 2-2 on 3’s and had 8 points in the quarter. Iguodala, Bjelica and Porter had already made a huge difference in this game off this beautifully balanced bench.

Memphis was 0 for 10 on 3’s to start the second quarter unable to even come close to matching Golden State, although it was all Grizzlies in the first five minutes of the second quarter trimming their 17 point deficit to 8. Memphis started hitting 3’s and the Grizzlies were chipping away at the Golden State lead. Memphis would get within 6 points but that’s as close as they came in the quarter. Golden State led at the half 55-45 and Stephen Curry had 22 points and was 4 of 9 on 3’s. The Warriors had their first half time lead of the season.

The Grizzlies Ja Morant was limited to 7 points in the first half and so the Warriors were doing a great job taking him out of the game although he did start to heat up in the closing minutes of the second quarter.

Giveaways were killing the Warriors in the early minutes of the third quarter. The turnovers were piling up and the Grizzlies were taking full advantage. WIth Ja Morant really heating up there was trouble brewing for the Warriors. Golden State got back to the ten point half time lead with less than a minute left in the quarter but Ja Morant and company continued to grind and with one quarter left in the game the Warriors led 79-73. The stubborn Grizzlies just would not go away. The Grizzlies had 20 points off turnovers which was troublesome.

Now it was up to the bench to take this game home for the Warriors in the fourth quarter. Mid-way through the quarter the Grizzlies had tied up this game at 86. With six minutes left in the final quarter Memphis took their first lead in the game 89-86. At 3:01 Memphis was leading 96-93 as the Grizzlies refused to back down. With 2.1 left in the game the Warrior had one final shot to either win this game or go into overtime. This game would go into overtime. This was the third straight game that Curry did not score in the fourth quarter.

The two reasons for this overtime were the resurgence of Ja Morant and the 22 turnovers by Golden State. A defensive display by Memphis in overtime gave them a three point lead 104-101 with 57 ticks left on the clock.

It’s near to impossible to win with 23 turnovers and such was the case in this game. The Grizzlies won the game 104-101 in the overtime. Curry had not score in the fourth quarter or the overtime. He did have 36 points to finish this game. The Grizzlies were just better when it mattered winning the second, third and fourth quarters and of course the overtime.

The Warriors will take on the OKC Thunder Saturday night at 5:30. They have a lot of work ahead of them most importantly taking care of the careless turnovers.

NBA Playoffs podcast: Joe Hawkes takes a look at today’s playoff action

On the NBA Playoffs with J Hawkes:

#1 Washington Wizards 118 @ Philadelphia 76ers 125 (game 1)

#2 Los Angeles Lakers 90 @ Phoenix 99 game 1

#3 Atlanta Hawks 107 @ New York Knicks 105 game 1

#5 Memphis Grizzlies @ Utah Jazz game 1

Join Joe for the NBA Playoffs throughout the post season for the NBA Playoff podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors’ season ends lose heartbreaker in overtime to Grizzlies 117-112

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors looks down at the floor as the Warriors were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Western Conference Play In game at Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday May 21, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (0-2) lost a heartbreaker Friday night to the Memphis Grizzlies (2-0) 117-112. The Warriors lost by three to the Lakers Wednesday night. Had they won the game, they would have been the eighth seed and play the Utah Jazz this Sunday. Could the Warriors rebound?

Did they have enough gas left in the tank to take down the young and hungry Memphis team? The Warriors beat the Grizzlies last Sunday 113-101, and the team was confident they could beat Memphis again. Unfortunately for Golden State, Memphis figured out a way to beat them.

The Grizzlies’ young stars Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks led Memphis to the playoffs. They gave the Warriors all they could handle. Golden State didn’t quit as a late surge in the fourth quarter forced the game into overtime.

The Grizzlies got off to a great start. They were leading 24-14 when Steph Curry went on a personal 10-2 run to bring the Warriors within two, 26-24. Jordan Poole hit a three to give the Warriors a short-lived lead 27-26. Memphis regained the lead to finish the first quarter leading 30-29. 

Things did not go well for the Warriors in the second quarter. Memphis started the quarter on a 15-9 run. They increased the lead to 15, 57-42. The Warriors Stephen Curry made a three, and Jordan Poole made a two-point basket to close within ten, 59-49.

The Grizzlies answered with a three to finish the first half leading 62-49. The Grizzlies outscored the Warriors 32-20 in the period. The Warriors continued to have problems handling the ball. They turned the ball over nine times in the first half to give the Grizzlies 13 points. Curry led the Warriors with 17. No other Warrior were in double figures. The Grizzlies’ bench outscored the Warriors bench 25-11. 

The Warriors’ defense came to life in the third quarter. The Warriors held the Grizzlies to 16 points while scoring 24. The Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks hounded Curry all night long. Curry and Andrew Wiggins helped the Warriors fightback to finish the third quarter trailing by five, 78-73.

The fourth quarter would be a nailbiter. Memphis upped the lead to nine 97-88 with less than three minutes left in the game. The Warriors went on a 9-0 run tie the game 97-97. Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, and Curry all made key plays on the 9-0 run. Memphis went ahead by two 99-97 with 55 seconds left.

Andrew Wiggins made a bucket to the game 99-99. Memphis had the ball with 33.2 seconds left. The Warriors defense came up with the stop. The Warriors had 9.2 seconds left to make a basket and win the game. They could not score, and the game went into overtime.

Memphis scored the first bucket in OT. Wiggins tied it with a two-pointer to tie the game at 101-101. Curry scored a basket to put the Warriors in the lead 102-101. The Grizzlies’ Grayson Allen connected on two three-point shots to make it 107-103.

Green and Poole made baskets from downtown to give the s the Warriors advantage, 109-107. The Grizzlies’ Xavier Tillman made a three. Ja Morant made two more buckets to put the Grizzlies in the driver’s seat 114-109 with four seconds left. Poole hit a three to cut the lead to two, 114-112. With two seconds left in the game and Memphis had the ball. Desmond Bane scored the final three points of the game. Memphis wins 117-112.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors’ season ended Friday night. The Warriors lost key players to injuries. Klay Thompson will return to action next season. He suffered an Achilles tendon injury in November and worked hard to get back into playing shape.

Rookie center James Wiseman suffered a knee injury, Kelly Oubre, Jr wrist, Eric Paschall hip flexor. The Warriors were down to eight players. Curry had an amazing season and is now a candidate for the NBA’s MVP award. Jordan Poole showed that he could be an offensive threat coming off the bench. Poole was sent down to the G-League. He found his game.

Andrew Wiggins played well on both ends of the court this year. Green, a finalist for Defensive Player of the year, excelled as a point guard. He was third in the league with assists, averaging about nine per game. 

Curry led the Warriors with 39 points. He was 13-for-28 from the floor and connected on six threes. Andrew Wiggins had a double-double with 22 points and ten boards. Green did everything he could to help the Warriors effort. He finished the night with a triple-double.

The Warriors usually never lose when Green has a triple-double. It was the second time in his career that the team lost when he achieved his goal. His line was 11 points, 16 rebounds, and ten assists. Poole had 19, Kent Bazemore ten.

As a team, the W’s shot 44.7% from the floor. They made 12 threes.

Ja Morant led Memphis with 35 points. Dillon Brooks had 13, Jarret Jackson 10. The Memphis bench outscored the Warriors bench 40-27. 

The Warriors committed 21 turnovers. Memphis scored 22 points off those turnovers. 

So, the season ends for Golden State. The team played well down the stretch. Curry was amazing. The team may not be going to the playoffs this year, but there is great anticipation for next season when Thompson, Wiseman, Paschall, and Oubre return. They were fun to watch.