Warriors get a lesson from the Grizzlies, who take 2-1 series lead
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Steve Kerr says his Golden State Warriors are going through a learning process as a very young team.
The Memphis Grizzlies are using their hefty postseason experience to make the lesson as painful as possible.
Zach Randolph scored 22 points and Marc Gasol added 21 points and 15 rebounds as the Grizzlies beat the Warriors, 99-89, on Saturday night to take a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinal.
“This was a huge win for our franchise, a huge win for our team,” Memphis Coach Dave Joerger said. “The crowd was fantastic.”
Mike Conley had 11 points for Memphis, which has yet to lose this postseason with the point guard in the lineup.
MVP Stephen Curry finished with 23 points for Golden State but was eight of 21 from the field, including two of 10 outside the arc.
“I have to play better for us to win games, especially on the road,” Curry said. “I hold myself to a high standard. I haven’t reached it yet. So looking forward to the challenge of getting that level in Game 4, setting the tone and [it] could be a different outcome.”
For a second consecutive game, the Grizzlies made the Warriors look nothing like the team that was the NBA’s best home or away during the regular season. The Warriors missed seven straight three-pointers during one stretch, several wide-open looks, and the Grizzlies harassed them into a handful of ugly turnovers.
The Warriors went only six for 26 from three-point range, tying their season-low at 23.1%, and 19 of 28 at the free throw line.
“They’re learning,” Kerr, the first-year coach, said of his Warriors. “It’s part of the process. You see teams go through this all the time in the playoffs. It’s the only way to figure it out, to go through the pain of losing a game like tonight.”
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