Grizzlies vs. Warriors: Scouting Report

By: Daniel Carp, Grizzlies.com Contributor

Record: 58-13
Standings: First in Western Conference, first in Pacific Division
Starting Five: PG Stephen Curry, SG Klay Thompson, SF Harrison Barnes, PF Draymond Green, C Andrew Bogut
Head Coach: Steve Kerr (first season with team)

The Warriors clinched their first Pacific Division title in 39 years, shooting the lights out in a 122-108 win against the Trail Blazers Tuesday in Portland. Trailing 62-55 at the half, Golden State took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring Portland 36-18 to coast to the title. In the victory, the Warriors shot a season-high 60.2 percent from the field and assisted on 37 of their 50 field goals.

All-Star Stephen Curry turned in a performance Warriors fans have grown accustomed to seeing, pouring in 33 points and 10 assists, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Taking advantage of a Portland team that played without inside presences LaMarcus Aldridge and Chris Kaman, Golden State got near-triple doubles from both of its starting big men. Center Andrew Bogut had 16 rebounds and six assists to go along with his 10 points, and power forward Draymond Green added 14 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks.

Golden State has now won 11 of its last 12 games.

The Grizzlies and Warriors haven't matched up since Dec. 16, when the teams with the two best records in the NBA squared off at FedExForum and Memphis' bench powered them to a 105-98 win. Starting the second quarter without a single starter on the floor, the Grizzlies took control of the game with a 20-0 run. Veteran Vince Carter led Memphis during this decisive run with 11 of his 16 points while playing alongside Beno Udrih, Tayshaun Prince, Jon Leuer and Kosta Koufos.

Center Marc Gasol led the Grizzlies with a game-high 24 points, and power forward Zach Randolph added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Golden State shot just 29.0 percent from 3-point range, including a 1-of-10 clip from Curry.

Golden State's guards get most of the hype, but the key matchup for Friday's contest is at the power forward spot between Zach Randolph and Draymond Green. Randolph is fresh off a less-than-average performance in Wednesday's loss to Cleveland, where he mustered just five points and three rebounds against Kevin Love. Green presents a matchup problem for most NBA big men—despite standing at just 6-foot-7, his shooting touch from the perimeter and quick feet force defenders to venture outside the paint and into space.

If the Warriors are able to dominate the interior similar to the way they did in their win against Portland Tuesday, Memphis could be in for a long night. Should Randolph regain his form, the Grizzlies could pound it inside when running their half-court sets and wear Golden State's defenders down.

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Friday is Grizzlies' "Go Green Night" presented by International Paper. Tree seedlings will be given to the first 5,000 fans in attendance. Additionally, Grammy-Award winner Tasha Cobbs will conclude Friday’s game with a solo performance for Grizzlies Gospel Night.

Learn more about "Go Green Night" events.

Friday's contest will feature a battle between two of the NBA's most distinctive tempo teams. Golden State boasts the fastest offense in the league, averaging nearly 102 possessions per game. Memphis prefers a more deliberate half-court pace and sits at 25th in the NBA in pace of play. Controlling the tempo will likely be a major key for both teams.

Although the Grizzlies and Warriors are the top two teams in the Western Conference standings, Golden State holds a comfortable eight-game lead with 11 contests remaining on its schedule. Friday's matchup will be the first of two meetings between the team's in this year's stretch run. Picking up key wins against the conference's first-place team would be significant for Memphis, which enters Friday's game leading Houston by 1.5 games for the No. 2 seed in the West.

The Warriors may be known for their lights-out shooting from long range, but Golden State also ranks in the top three in the NBA in steals and blocks.

View Game Notes

Watch tonight's Battle Ballz match as Jonathan May (3 Shades of Blue) takes on Jarvis Greer (WMC-TV).