Stephen Curry has led the Golden State Warriors to an important victory in the playoff race. The superstar of the Dubs scored 52 points in the 134-125 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Curry had already scored 32 points by half-time and had converted eight threes by the end of the quarter. Klay Thompson’s record of 14 threes seemed possible, but the 37-year-old cooled down a little after the break. In the end, he had 52 points (16/31 FG) and twelve threes in 20 attempts. He also added ten rebounds, eight assists and five steals.
For Curry, it was the 15th 50-point game of his career (second this season), only five players have managed more. And yet it was close for a long time, with the Grizzlies even leading 120:116 with just under four minutes left on the clock. Curry turned the game around with his final three, while Jimmy Butler (27 points, 7/11 FG, 12/12 FT) made four free throws in a row and a three by Moses Moody (10) finally sealed the win for the visitors.
Warriors set the course for the playoffs
The Warriors (44-31) thus overtook the Grizzlies in the table and are now fifth in the Western Conference. Memphis (44-32), on the other hand, has now lost four games in a row, and Toumas Iisalo has not been able to turn things around since being appointed interim coach.
For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant (36, 14/22) was the top scorer, while Jaren Jackson Jr. (22) and rookie Zach Edey (10, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks) also impressed. In the end, however, the hosts were unable to make any more stops. Although the Warriors only managed 42.4 percent from the field, they made up for it with 22 threes and 15 offensive rebounds.
For the Dubs, it was the penultimate game of a six-game road trip, Golden State is 3-2 and will conclude the trip on Thursday night with the Los Angeles Lakers. After that, three of the last four games are at home, with only one more game on the road in Phoenix. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, only have two more home games and then have to travel to the Eastern Conference (Miami, Detroit, Charlotte).
