The Golden State Warriors improved to 13-3 at home on Christmas Day, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 123-109 at Chase Center. Despite the absence of Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, the Dubs were evenly matched against a healthy Grizzlies team, leading almost from start to finish.
Jordan Poole scored 17 points in the first quarter, setting the stage for an impressive night for the Warriors’ young players. The Warriors were leading 33–29 at the end of the first quarter, and Poole tied his lead despite ending the quarter with a lineup consisting of Jerome, Moses Moody, Jonathan Cuminga and James Wiseman. maintained.
Weisman attempted no shots in the nine minutes of action, but it was arguably his most effective performance as a professional. He had five rebounds and only one foul. While he still looks uneasy on defense, he was more patient and did a good job contesting the Grizzlies’ shots on the inside.
Kuminga struggled on the offensive side, showing ups and downs, but showed strength in defense. No one from the Grizzlies could make an open shot off the dribble against Kuminga. Moody was Golden State’s most productive player off the field as he went 4-for-7 with 10 points and Jerome had 14 points and 4 rebounds in his 22 minutes. was.
The Warriors finished the first half with a 64-59 lead, with Draymond Green soon fouling Jaren Jackson Jr. Forced off the bench, the Warriors took advantage of Memphis without an athletic, scrawny defender. Midway through the third quarter, Dubs continued his 11–0 run, extending the lead to 20 by the fourth quarter.
Poole was called for a second technical foul and sent off with more than nine minutes left in regulation, but Dubs didn’t flinch. Jamorant had 36 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, but no other player in Memphis has scored more than 13 points.
The youngster got a lot of accolades, but Green was the Warriors’ best player on Sunday. Green’s notoriously long memory of playing against a Grizzlies team that spent a lot of his time trash-talking Dub brought him an A-game. With Poole’s scoring prowess on offense, Green only needed three field goal attempts to control the game. He had 13 rebounds, 13 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks in 2 turnovers. The Warriors won’t get that level of contribution from Green every game, but when they do, they can compete with anyone.
Donte DiVincenzo also made a great stand-in for Wiggins. He made a solid defensive effort, scoring his 19 points in 31 minutes, finishing his 7-for-12 (3 to 5-9) from the field.
The Warriors’ enigmatic season continues on Tuesday when they host the Charlotte Hornets at 7 p.m. PT.
