Warriors stun Grizzlies

Even in the midst of some tough losses, the Golden State Warriors have been showing signs of improvement. Eventually, that effort would be rewarded with a win.

For the Dubs, the reward came as a 114-95 win against the Memphis Grizzlies on the road, ending a seven game losing streak. Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III lead the scoring push for Golden State through the first half, combining for 31 points. Burks would go on to lead all scorers with 29 points. Here are more observations and takeaways from last night’s victory.

Bigger lineup.. Better Defense

In the Warriors’ 100-105 loss against Boston, the improvements on defense didn’t go unnoticed. Head coach Steve Kerr made a lineup adjustment consisting of replacing Jordan Poole with Eric Paschall, which bumped up Robinson III to a guard position and formed a solid frontcourt tandem with Draymond Green. The results paid off early. The Warriors forced a turnover in the Celtic’s first possession, and held the Celtics to below 30 points in all four quarters on 41 percent shooting.

Last night, Kerr made another lineup adjustment by inserting Burks at point, bumping Green to the two while keeping Paschall and Robinson III at the wings. The Warriors held the Grizzlies to 40 percent from the field and 36 percent from three. They also forced 12 turnovers, snagged 40 defensive rebounds, and recorded 10 blocks. Marquese Chriss had four of those blocks.

Figuring something out on offense

After trailing Memphis 30-28 during the first quarter, the Warriors exploded in the second, going on a 28-8 run that covered over eight minutes. Golden State pushed the momentum to a 20 point lead. The Warriors shot 47 percent from the field and 31 percent from deep for the game and recorded a familiar 33 assists. Those numbers were the result of ball movement, spacing and trying to get the best shot possible. Last night, the Warriors thrived in the paint, scoring 23 points.

Four Men...34 points

The Warriors have been so depleted with injuries, their bench depth is now down to four men. Memphis had a healthier rotation with seven men coming off the bench but it didn’t matter. The Warriors with their paper thin bench outscored the Grizzlies’ bench 34-27. Chris had 17 of those points, While Omari Spellman chipped in with nine points and six rebounds. Jordan Poole’s struggles from the field continues, as he only chipped in with five points.