Grizzlies 99, Warriors 93
MEMPHIS -- The Memphis Grizzlies overcame a combined 58 points from Golden State stars Seth Curry and David Lee to hold on for a 99-93 victory over the Warriors Friday night at FedEx Forum. The victory kept the Grizzlies in fifth place in the Western Conference, one-and-a-half games ahead of Golden State.
Curry had 32 points and Lee 26 for the Warriors (30-20), but Memphis (31-18) placed five players in double figures, including two bench players. Double-doubles from Marc Gasol (20 points, 11 rebounds) and Zach Randolph (16 points, 11 rebounds) powered the Grizzlies, and Tony Allen added 17 points.
The Grizzlies knocked down 7 of 15 3-point attempts (47.1 percent) in the opening half to take a 63-56 lead at the break.
Austin Daye, acquired from Detroit along with Tayshaun Prince in the three-team trade that sent Rudy Gay to Toronto, finally showed why the Grizzlies were happy to have him in the deal. The 6-foot-11 Daye, who has been shooting a career-high 50 percent this season, was just 1 of 7 from the field in his first three games with Memphis.
On Friday, Daye scored 12 points in the first half and along with guard Jerryd Bayless combined to hit 6 of 11 3-pointers in the half.
The Warriors hung in, trailing by just a point entering the final quarter.
The Memphis offense never got in a rhythm during the period, and the Warriors did a nice job of fighting back. Curry scored seven points in the quarter as the Warriors stayed above 50 percent from the field.
Memphis cooled to 48 percent, but the Griz bench had scored 36 points in the first three periods.
Notes: Memphis was trying to get out of its funk Friday night. Just three games shy of the All-Star Game break for the 30-18 Grizzlies, it felt like the start of the season again. That's what happens when you trade away five players and acquire five new ones in an eight-day period. "This is the way it usually is at the beginning of the year," said Grizzlies' coach Lionel Hollins said. "We're trying to give new people the opportunity to show they belong and what they can do. I don't mind doing that early in the year and giving up a loss, but I've got five new guys. The rotation will tighten. After the All-Star break, it will be different. By then, I know who fits in and who doesn't." ... The Grizzlies have three home games before the All-Star break. They are 4-4 since the first of two trades on Jan. 23 and 1-2 since trading Gay to Toronto. Having to get so many new faces acclimated, such as veteran small forward Prince, has been a nightmare on both ends of the floor. "Adding all these new guys has been like adding five new family members and expecting them to know the house rules and the tendencies of the parents," Grizzlies' point guard Mike Conley said. "All these guys played in different systems, so it's tough for the guys who have already been on the team when I'm calling plays that we think the new guys know." ... Warriors coach Mark Jackson said it's tough to get a bead on the new Grizzlies. "Before they had a lot of good shooters and now they don't."
