The Warriors finish off their brief two-game homestand when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
Warriors vs. GrizzliesSunday, March 265:00 p.m.Oracle Arena
WATCH: CSN Bay Area, NBA League Pass*
RADIO: 95.7 The Game, Warriors Radio Network
MEMPHIS COMES TO TOWN
Coming off a victory over the Kings, the Warriors finish off their brief two-game homestand when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. This will be the fourth and final matchup between the two sides this season, and the Grizzlies are one of two NBA teams to beat Golden State twice this year. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Watch the action on CSN Bay Area and NBA League Pass*, or listen to the call on 95.7 The Game and the Warriors Radio Network.
*Only available outside of the Bay Area
LAST TIME OUT
The Warriors extended their winning streak to six games after defeating the visiting Sacramento Kings 114-100 on Friday night. Full Recap
MATCHUP AT A GLANCE
GSW
58-14
1st in West
116.1 PPG (1st)
44.6 RPG (7th)
30.4 APG (1st)
MEM
40-32
7th in West
101.0 PPG (27th)
43.0 RPG (22nd)
21.2 APG (23rd)
PROJECTED STARTERS
GSW: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Patrick McCaw, Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia
MEM: Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Vince Carter, JaMychal Green and Marc Gasol
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES
GSW: Kevin Durant (left knee) is out. Damian Jones (D-League assignment) is not with team. Team Notes
MEM: Chandler Parsons (left knee) is out. Wade Baldwin, Deyonta Davis and Jarrell Martin (D-League assignment) are not with team. Team Notes
BALL MOVEMENT
“We talk about it all the time. That’s when we’re at our best. When the ball is hopping, everybody gets involved. It’s a threat to score and a threat to playmake.” That was Stephen Curry following the Warriors victory over the Kings on Friday night, a game in which they compiled 37 assists as a team despite missing 21 three-pointers. As Curry continued, “It could have been better, but that’s how we create good to great shots, with our ball movement and our passing.” Curry was right, and he led by example on Friday when he recorded a season-high 12 assists in the victory. He set the tone for his team, and they followed suit by making a concerted effort to share the ball throughout the night. Of the Warriors’ 24 first half field goals, 21 of them came by way of an assist. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the Warriors' 84.1 assist percentage on field goals on Friday marked the fifth-highest such percentage in an NBA game this season. The Dubs also have the two best marks: 91.1 percent (Dec. 15 against the Knicks) and 88.7 percent (Nov. 23 against the Lakers). It’s a mentality Golden State would be wise to take into their matchup with the Grizzlies on Sunday. In their two defeats to Memphis this season, the Warriors have averaged only 19.0 assists per game, compared to the 31 they accrued in their lone victory over the Grizzlies back on February 10.
TEAM LEADERS
GSW
PTS: Durant (25.3)
REB: Durant (8.2)
AST: Green (7.2)
MEM
PTS: Conley (20.0)
REB: Randolph (8.1)
AST: Conley (6.3)
MEMPHIS SCOUTING REPORT
The Grizzlies are one of the oldest teams in the league, but lately they’ve been playing with the inconsistency of one much younger. Memphis comes into Sunday’s matchup against the Warriors having lost the first two games of their current four-game road trip. Prior to that, they had won four in a row, and prior to that, they were on a five-game losing streak. The seesawing has dropped Memphis to 40-32 on the season, good enough for seventh place in the West, but 1.5 games behind Oklahoma City in sixth. Still, despite their recent toils, one can be sure the Warriors will not underestimate the Grizzlies when they meet for the final time this season on Sunday. Other than the Spurs, Memphis is the only team in the league to beat Golden State twice this season, and both losses stung. The Grizzlies thoroughly outplayed the Warriors in their first encounter, and then outscored Golden State 32-13 in the fourth quarter before ultimately prevailing in overtime in the second. In the Warriors’ lone victory in the season series thus far, Draymond Green recorded the first triple-double in NBA history with fewer than 10 points scored. That’s precisely the kind of effort it will take to defeat a Memphis team desperate to get back on the winning track on Sunday.