The Golden State Warriors hoped that the return of Draymond Green from his suspension would help spark them to a win against the Memphis Grizzlies on MLK Day. However, despite Green’s presence, the Warriors put forth an extremely lackluster effort in a 116-107 loss to a depleted Grizzlies squad missing star Ja Morant.
Lackadaisical Defense Dooms Warriors
The Warriors defense was atrocious, allowing the Grizzlies to shoot 50.6% from the field and hit 17 three-pointers. Memphis jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first half that swelled to as much as 25 points in the third quarter. Golden State made small runs to cut into the lead, but could never sustain defensive stops to truly threaten Memphis.
Draymond Green, who returned after serving an 11 game suspension for punching teammate Jordan Poole, called out the team’s defensive effort after the game:
“There’s just no pride in our defense…We’re not guarding nobody man. We’re walking around like we’re the shit and we ain’t did nothing.”
Several young Grizzlies players took advantage of the poor defense, including rookie GG Jackson who went off for 30 points. Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks added 24 points each. Coach Steve Kerr admitted after the game:
“This definitely qualifies as one of the worst losses that I’ve ever been a part of.”
| Memphis Grizzlies | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dillon Brooks | 8-13 | 4-5 | 4-4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 24 |
| Santi Aldama | 7-10 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 17 |
| GG Jackson | 13-21 | 4-8 | 0-0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 30 |
| Tyus Jones | 5-8 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
| Desmond Bane | 9-16 | 4-8 | 2-2 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 24 |
| Team Totals | 50-93 (53.8%) | 17-36 (47.2%) | 7-8 (87.5%) | 38 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 15 | 116 |
Offense Also Struggles
The Warriors offense was also lackluster, shooting just 43.3% from the field and 10-36 (27.8%) from three. Stephen Curry continued his slump, scoring just 13 points on 5-19 shooting (1-10 from three). Klay Thompson wasn’t much better, scoring 12 points but needing 15 shots. Andrew Wiggins led the team with 21 points.
Draymond Green stuffing the stat sheet with 4 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, but it wasn’t enough. As a team, the Warriors finished with more turnovers (17) than assists (15). Kerr hopes Green can help stabilize things going forward:
“Tonight was a step forward because we had Draymond back and he settled us down…Hopefully this will lead to better things.”
| Golden State Warriors | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Wiggins | 8-15 | 1-4 | 4-4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 21 |
| Draymond Green | 2-6 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Kevon Looney | 3-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Stephen Curry | 5-19 | 1-10 | 2-3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 13 |
| Klay Thompson | 5-15 | 2-9 | 0-0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| Team Totals | 36-83 (43.4%) | 10-36 (27.8%) | 8-10 (80.0%) | 41 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 107 |
What’s Next?
The Warriors and Grizzlies will complete their season series on March 9th in San Francisco. Golden State will next take the court on Wednesday night at home against the Phoenix Suns. The team desperately needs to string together some wins to stop their slide down the Western Conference standings. They currently sit 5th in the West with a 22-22 record.
The Grizzlies, currently 2nd in the West at 28-13, don’t play again until Thursday when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers. While they proved they can win without Ja Morant, they hope he can return from a wrist injury shortly. Memphis has established themselves as a legitimate contender this year in the Western Conference.
More News and Reactions
Other NBA scores from January 15th:
- Dallas Mavericks 120, New Orleans Pelicans 112
- Philadelphia 76ers 133, Houston Rockets 113
Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson reacted on Twitter to the loss:
Tough loss tonight @warriors 🤦🏽♂️ onto the next
— Juan Toscano Anderson (@juanonjuan10) January 16, 2024
The Warriors frustration was evident after the game, with Draymond Green getting into an intense exchange with assistant coach Kenny Atkinson.
However, head coach Steve Kerr believes the team can turn things around:
“We know we’re capable of much more than we showed tonight. I know we’ll respond on Wednesday.”
Veteran Andre Iguodala shared a similar sentiment:
Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever. pic.twitter.com/FDFWPIYoOZ
— Andre Iguodala (@andre) January 16, 2024
With half the season remaining, the Warriors still have time to regain their championship form from last year. But it remains to be seen if this team has enough talent and determination to overcome their struggles. The next few weeks will be very telling as the trade deadline also approaches on February 9th.
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.
