If I had told you, before the Golden State Warriors’ battle against the Memphis Grizzlies, that the Dubs – without Steph Curry, James Wiseman and Eric Paschall, and with just one game of Kevon Looney – would share the series, you would have taken it . You would have taken it in the blink of an eye.
Splitting a consecutive road against a team you’re competing with in the standings, while your superstar and a handful of other key players are left out, is definitely a victory.
So, let’s try to keep that in mind, because Saturday’s loss was a somewhat difficult pill to swallow. The Warriors had the game in their hands. They led at the break. They led for much of the third quarter. Things went well in the fourth half.
But they couldn’t catch them.
Make no mistake: I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be disappointed with the game. You should be. You would be right to feel that the Warriors should have won, and it is a feeling that echoed through the team.
Steve Kerr: “We didn’t take the opportunity. We let them stay close, we left them off the hook … I thought we lost the game in the second half.”
– Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg) March 21, 2021
The final execution of the game was simply not there. The Warriors’ attack was stagnant in the final minutes, and they gave up on major offensive rebounds. They led 100-99 with less than three minutes left, before being defeated 12-3 to end the game. Andrew Wiggins was at a critical juncture and, in the shadow of a painful loss to Charlotte Hornets, the Warriors were unable to ask for a time limit and instead gave in to a turn.
And victory slipped through your fingers.
It was only on his fingers, in the first place, due to a high dose of sand and a steady flow of elite defense. The Warriors led at the interval, despite having only 13 shots and only 31.0% of field shots.
But the defense did its part. Golden State kept Memphis with just 38.9% of pitches and 31.3% of depth, and forced 12 turnovers. They were active and fast, disturbing and hard, smart and desperate.
The offense just never happened. Jordan Poole had another stellar game with 26 points out of 10 out of 21 shots, keeping his post-G League tear.
7 post-G League games by Jordan Poole: 20.9 points, 2.3 assists, 0.3 turnovers (!!!), 68.6% accurate shot
– Brady Klopfer (@BradyKlopferNBA) March 21, 2021
Juan Toscano-Anderson and Nico Mannion had good offensive performances off the bench, but the holders, except Poole, had difficulties. Wiggins only shot 4 to 14, but won 12 trips to the free throw line. Kelly Oubre Jr. shot 4 out of 13. Draymond Green had 7 points and only 3 assists, and Alen Smailagić was not a deciding factor.
And along the way, it became clear who the players and coaches thought gave them the best chance of winning: Poole. This is something to keep an eye on.
Poole’s great performance gave him a bigger role in the rotation, even when Curry’s return forces the sophomore back on the bench.
He asked Kerr if Jordan Poole earned a heavier total of minutes off the bench when Steph Curry returns: “Yes”
– Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 21, 2021
It is these types of developments that make a loss still productive, and that is exactly what the Warriors’ 111-103 loss was. They grew up, improved, learned some things about themselves.
And they suffered a somewhat painful loss in the process.