Quick Recap: Grizzlies get back in the win column with victory over the Warriors

The Grizzlies cruise past the Warriors with 131-110 victory.

It has been a pretty miserable week for the Memphis Grizzlies. It seemed as if the Grizzlies had gotten back on track after winning six of eight but a string of bad news has put Memphis’s season in flux. Brandon Clarke ruptured his Achilles, Steven Adams’s timetable for a return has been pushed back and Ja Morant is still not with the team for at least four more games.

After close losses against the Lakers and the Clippers, the Grizzlies returned home to face off against the Golden State Warriors. Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks have traded barbs off the court throughout the week, but whose team got the leg up in Thursday’s game?

First Quarter:

Like many of Memphis’s recent contests, Xavier Tillman got the Grizzlies on the board to start the game. Memphis started 7/9 from the field and 4/4 from three. On the other side, Golden State was getting most of their points from the free-throw line. The Grizzlies grew a double-digit lead early in the period thanks to Jaren Jackson Jr. and Tyus Jones’s sharpshooting.

Stephen Curry picked up two fouls in the first eight minutes of the period, and Brooks got going, sparking a Warriors timeout as the lead bubbled to twelve. Memphis’s three-point barrage continued as Santi Aldama and Luke Kennard sank shots from beyond the arc. The Grizzlies were forced to use a challenge after Kennard was called for a phantom foul on a Donte DiVincenzo three-pointer. On the other end, Kennard drilled another triple to give the Grizzlies a 48-28 lead after one.

Second Quarter:

After shooting 64% from the field and 57.1% from three in the first quarter, the Grizzlies could not stay quite as hot to open the second quarter. Memphis missed a few jumpers and was forced to call timeout after Golden State cut the lead to 15. Curry began to get in his bag, pouring in 12 as Memphis’s lead dwindled to six. Golden State went on a 19-5 run as Memphis struggled to get any offense going after the explosive first quarter.

Memphis did not relent. After the Warriors cut the lead to four, the Grizzlies responded with a 20-6 run of their own to end the half. Green and Brooks got in each other’s faces but cooler heads prevailed as the game went on. The Grizzlies went into halftime with a 77-59 lead. Jackson led the way with 16 points and six rebounds. Jones had 13 points and eight assists and Bane had 11 with three assists. Curry had 19 at half for Golden State.

Third Quarter:

Golden State came out with a fury to start the third. Curry and Klay Thompson hit threes to cap off a 13-2 Warriors run. As in the first half, Memphis bounced back with Jackson and Aldama buckets. The Warriors cut the lead to five after a JaMychal Green three but Memphis responded with a three of their own, courtesy of John Konchar.

Konchar went on to score five more points but Green responded with two more threes. The Warriors outscored Memphis 33-22 in the third quarter with the score at 99-93 after three.

Fourth Quarter:

Memphis brought energy to the fourth quarter, unlike their last three games. Bane and Aldama generated points for the Grizzlies early in the quarter. Everything Grizzlies fans like about Brooks was in full effect in the fourth quarter. Brooks was draped all over Curry and he even drilled a three-pointer. With the crowd alive, Memphis got hot, showing its resiliency once again. Jones, Bane, and Brooks were serving up buckets to grow the Grizzlies’ lead to 15.

The Grizzlies pulled ahead in the fourth quarter stretching their lead to 23. Memphis ultimately won 131-110. Jackson, Jones and Bane all had over 20 points and Aldama contributed 15 off the bench. The Grizzlies host the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.