The Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 123-109 at Chase Center on Sunday as the Dubs secured a victory on Christmas Day for the second consecutive year.
The Dubs took an early lead and despite that they were losing the turnover battle in the first half, the Warriors' efficiency from 3-point range gave them the advantage.
“It's a great win," Steve Kerr said postgame. "I mean, that's one of the best teams in the league and to come off that disappointing trip and play the way we did tonight was really encouraging. And I just challenged the guys to build on it. We've got seven-straight home games coming up.
"We've been great at home, but we haven't really built a lot of momentum this year. It's kind of been stops and starts. So it feels like it's time to turn it up, so we got to build on this. We're not always going to shoot the ball like we did tonight, but if we compete and defend the way we did, then I think we can get going and get some momentum and that's the idea.”
Six Warriors scored in double figures, with Jordan Poole scoring a team-high 32 points in 29 minutes of action. Klay Thompson added 24 points, including 17 in the second half. The Dubs led for almost the entire game, leading by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter, with the lead never less than 13 points in the final frame.
Golden State Warriors Highlights vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Team Leaders
GSW
| Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Poole - 32 | D. Green - 13 | D. Green - 13 |
| Thompson - 24 | Thompson - 9 | Looney - 4 |
| DiVincenzo - 19 | Looney/Wiseman - 5 | Thompson - 4 |
MEM
| Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Morant - 36 | Adams - 14 | Morant - 8 |
| Brooks - 13 | Clarke - 7 | Jones - 5 |
| Jones - 13 | Morant - 7 | Aldama - 3 |
Poole Leads the Way
Jordan Poole scored 17 points in the first quarter, making three 3-pointers as the Dubs took an early lead over Memphis. Poole scored a team-high 32 points on the night, before being ejected after receiving his second technical foul with 9:20 remaining in the game.
Highlights: Jordan Poole Goes Off For 32 Points on Christmas - 12/25/22
Jerome's Impact
The Grizzlies cut the lead to three points with just under five minutes left in the third quarter. The Dubs called a timeout and substituted in Ty Jerome and Jonathan Kuminga. Jerome, who had two points in the first half, came in and hit his first three shots, scoring eight points in 75 seconds as part of a 11-0 Warriors run to push the lead back up to 14 points. Jerome finished the game with 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting and was a team-high plus-23.
After recording double-digit points in only one of his first 15 games of the season, Jerome has now scored 11-plus points in three straight games.
Jerome's Floater
Draymond Passes Hardaway
Draymond Green recorded a double-double the hard way on Sunday night, accomplishing the feat with 13 rebounds and 13 assists. Green's impact was felt on both ends of the court, orchestrating the Dubs offense and also adding two blocks and a steal.
"That's what a great Draymond Green performance looks like often," Steve Kerr said. "Just controlling the game at both ends with his defense, but also on offense. Playing that point-forward role. He was tremendous tonight. I just thought his defense was all world. I mean, what he was doing out there and then finishing the possession with the boards."
With his fifth assist of the game in the third quarter, Green passed Tim Hardaway for third place on the Warriors all-time assists list, now trailing only Stephen Curry and Guy Rodgers.
Dubs in Transition
DiVincenzo's Season-High
Donte DiVincenzo, in just his fifth start of the season, recorded a season-high 19 points in the victory. DiVincenzo found his rhythm early, scoring six of the team's first 13 points. The guard made a season-high-tying five 3-pointers, shooting 7-for-12 from the field, while also tallying three rebounds and three assists.
"I think I'm getting comfortable with playing certain sets, and certain actions," DiVincenzo said. "How I'm going to get my shots, with a different guy setting screens. All that stuff. Honestly, I'm just playing with a clear head, just letting it fly. If it goes in great, if it doesn't just get back on defense.”
Lamb Finds a Cutting DiVincenzo
Continued Home Success
After a 1-5 road trip, the Dubs returned to Chase Center, and with their win, improved to 13-2 at home this season. That is tied for the best win percentage on home court in the NBA and the Dubs have won 12 of their last 13 games at Chase Center.
Postgame Warriors Talk
Up Next
The Warriors continue their season-long eight-game homestand on Tuesday night, when they host the Charlotte Hornets (7 p.m., NBCSBA). The Dubs will then close out 2022 with home games against the Utah Jazz (Dec. 28) and Portland Trail Blazers (Dec. 30), before opening 2023 at Chase Center against the Atlanta Hawks (Jan. 2).
More Notables:
- Golden State won its first-ever Christmas Day matchup against Memphis, improving to 15-17 (.469) all-time on December 25… The Warriors have played on Christmas Day in 12 of the last 13 years, including the last 10 seasons consecutively.
- The 14-point win was the largest Christmas Day win for the Warriors, surpassing 12-point victories twice (1966 and 2019).
- The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies for the first time in the last three regular season meetings and for the second time at Chase Center.
- With 31 assists, the Warriors recorded their league-leading 19th 30-assist game of the season and are averaging a league-best 29.4 assists per game.
- The Warriors improved to 5-1 this season when grabbing at least 50 rebounds (had 51 rebounds tonight).
- With 123 points tonight, the Warriors improved to 12-3 this season when scoring at least 120 points.
- The Warriors scored 40 points in the third quarter, a season-high points for that quarter (prev. 38, three times)… Golden State is now 4-0 this season when posting a 40-point quarter.
- The starting lineup of Donte DiVincenzo, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole improved to 2-0 this season (12/18 at Toronto was the only other game this starting lineup was used).
- Tonight marked Golden State’s 445th consecutive sellout, the longest streak in franchise history.
- Jordan Poole scored a team-high 32 points before leaving the game after receiving his first career ejection with 9:20 left in the fourth quarter (2nd technical)… It was Poole’s sixth 30-point game of the season (17th of his career)… Had 20 points in the first half, his sixth 20-point half of the season, 15th of his career)… The 32 points were the most points Poole has ever scored in Christmas Day (prev. 11).
- Draymond Green recorded his third double-double of the season with 13 rebounds and 13 assists… Green passed Tim Hardaway (3,926) to move into third place on the Warriors all-time assists list.
- Klay Thompson recorded 24 points, his 10th 20-point game of the season… The 24 points matched a Christmas Day scoring high for the third time.
- Donte DiVincenzo, making his fifth start of the season, tallied a season-high 19 points (prev. 17) and matched a season-high with five 3-pointers.
- Moses Moody scored 10 points, his third straight game scoring in double figures (a new career-best streak), and seventh of the season.
- Ty Jerome tallied 14 points, scoring 10-or-more points for the third straight game (one shy of matching a career-high streak of four, done twice) and the fourth time this season.
- Anthony Lamb contributed 11 points off the bench, his fifth double-figure scoring game of the season.
- James Wiseman grabbed five rebounds in eight minutes, one shy of his season-high of six rebounds (done twice).
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant’s game-high 36 points were the tied for the fourth-most points scored by a Warriors opponent on Christmas Day, matching Walt Frazier in 1971.