The Warriors look to remain undefeated on their current road trip when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.
Warriors at GrizzliesSaturday, Dec. 105:00 p.m.FedExForumMemphis, TN
TV: CSN Bay Area
RADIO: 95.7 The Game, Warriors Radio Network
ON TO MEMPHIS
Now 2-0 on their current five-game road trip, the Warriors will look to add another win to their total when they travel to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies on Saturday night. This will be the first of four matchups between the two teams this season, and Golden State enters the contest having emerged victorious in each of their last six encounters with Memphis. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. (Pacific). Watch the action on CSN Bay Area, or listen to the call on 95.7 The Game or on the Warriors Radio Network.
LAST TIME OUT
The Warriors held off a resilient Jazz team, picking up their second win in as many nights with Thursday’s 106-99 win in Salt Lake City. Full Recap
MATCHUP AT A GLANCE
GSW
20-3
1st in West
119.3 PPG (1st)
44.7 RPG (8th)
31.8 APG (1st)
MEM
16-8
5th in West
97.5 PPG (27th)
43.8 RPG (19th)
19.8 APG (27th)
PROJECTED STARTERS
GSW: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia
MEM: Andrew Harrison, Troy Williams, Tony Allen, JaMychal Green and Marc Gasol
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES
GSW: Andre Iguodala (rest) and Kevon Looney (right ankle sprain) are out. Damian Jones is on D-League assignment. Team Notes
MEM: Vince Carter (right hip) and Troy Daniels (illness) are questionable. Mike Conley (lower back), Chandler Parsons (left knee), Brandan Wright (left ankle) and James Ennis III (right calf) are out. Team Notes
TREY-MOND
If you were to take a wild guess as to who has been the Warriors most productive three-point shooter on their current road trip, chances are, you’d probably be wrong. No, it’s not Stephen Curry, the all-time single-season record holder, nor is it Klay Thompson, the reigning Three Point Contest champion. Instead, it’s Draymond Green who has been pouring in points from long range, and it’s come at a time when his team has needed it most. Green has converted 7-of-11 (.636) three-point attempts over the previous two games, more than twice as many as anybody else on Golden State over that span. Shooting 50.0 percent from beyond the arc over the last week, Green has attributed his recent upward trend to getting more arc on his shot and not falling backwards during his release, heeding the advice of assistant coach Ron Adams. The adjustment has clearly worked, and if Green is able to maintain anything close to this sort of accuracy moving forward, it’s going to make an already-prolific Golden State offense that much more difficult to stop.
TEAM LEADERS
GSW
PTS: Durant (26.2)
REB: Green (8.5)
AST: Green (7.3)
MEM
PTS: Gasol (19.9)
REB: Randolph (8.3)
AST: Conley (5.7)
MEMPHIS SCOUTING REPORT
You have to give the Grizzlies credit. Memphis was dealt a considerable blow when Mike Conley went down with a fractured back on November 28, but rather than wallow in self-pity, the Grizzlies have made the most of an unfortunate situation, and are currently playing their best basketball of the year. Sitting at 16-8 on the season, Memphis is riding a five-game winning streak, throughout which they’ve displayed their mettle in grinding out tough victories. Those most recent five wins have come by a combined total of 13 points, with no margin of victory larger than five points, staying true to their ‘Grit & Grind’ mentality. Even without Conley, the Grizzlies possess a terrific leader in Marc Gasol, whose 19.9 points per game constitutes the highest scoring average of his decorated career. Memphis enters Saturday’s game with the top defensive rating (99.9) in the NBA, while Golden State isn’t far behind in sixth, allowing an average of 101.6 points per 100 possessions. While both sides are adept defensively, they differ significantly in their pace of play. The Warriors operate at the third-fastest pace in the league, while the Grizzlies are situated on the polar opposite end of the spectrum, playing at the third-slowest pace in the Association. It would thus be prudent of Golden State to push the pace at every opportunity to try to generate additional scoring chances in the open floor, which could go a long way towards out-grinding a Memphis squad that is one of the most resilient teams in the league.