It's the end of the road for Golden State. Stephen Curry and the Warriors fought valiantly against the Memphis Grizzlies, taking the game all the way into overtime after being down by as much as 17 points.
Curry led the way with what felt like the toughest 39 points the Warriors star has ever had to earn. Draymond Green stuffed the stat sheet as per usual and also sprinkled in some timely baskets during crunch time to relieve some pressure off of Curry. Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole combined for 41 points to keep pace with the Grizzlies' well-balanced offense.
But in the end, it wasn't enough. The Warriors were doomed by three glaring stats that ended their season.
Warriors vs. Grizzlies: 3 Stats that Doomed the Dubs
(1) The Warriors' Biggest Losers
Steve Kerr employed an extremely tight rotation against the Grizzlies. The Warriors coach relied heavily on Stephen Curry and Draymond Green and for good reason, as both stars played 47 and 45 minutes respectively. The Dubs played just eight men, with five of them eclipsing the 30-minute mark.
But surprisingly, the Warriors' worst stretches of the game came with the guys who played the least amount of minutes on the floor.
Kevon Looney had the worst plus/minus among all players, ending up a -15 in his 24 minutes of game action. Kent Bazemore was -10 in 25 minutes. Golden State's worst sequence of the contest came during Mychal Mulder's eight minutes played, as the Warriors were an ugly -14 in the 8+ minute span that Mulder played in the 2nd quarter. He didn't re-enter in the second half.
Stephen Curry had played his heart out and got some big games from Jordan Poole and Draymond Green. Juan Toscano-Anderson didn't pile up many stats, but he did have the best plus/minus of the team at +11. But the supporting cast was clearly lacking around Curry.
Having Klay Thompson back instantly fills a clear void in the rotation next season, while the development of James Wiseman could bring some productivity in the center spot that they'll need going forward.
(2) Shot-for-Shot with Steph Curry
Stephen Curry didn't have his best game ever against Memphis, but he definitely lived up to what was expected of him. The Grizzlies certainly had the depth advantage, but the Warriors' trump card was supposed to be Curry and his dynamic shot-making. But in what felt like a star-defining moment, Ja Morant came up large.
Morant finished with 35 points, but more intriguing is the fact that he basically negated the effects of Stephen Curry's three-point prowess with some long-range bombing of his own. The Grizzlies star, known as a non-factor from deep, nailed a career-high five triples to match Steph's six in the biggest game of his young career.
This stings a little bit extra too because LeBron James also pulled the same stunt in a different fashion, drilling a three-pointer for the win that felt more apropos coming from Curry.
Ja Morant tonight:
35 PTS
6 REB
6 AST
4 STL
5 3PTThat’s the most threes Ja has ever made in a game. pic.twitter.com/OezXKj8bDI
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 22, 2021
With the Warriors facing a superstar stalemate and a disadvantage in the depth department, they needed a near-perfect performance to salvage a win against the Grizzlies. But unfortunately, they were anything but that.
(3) Throwing the Season Away, Literally
The Golden State Warriors just could not take care of the basketball. Stephen Curry coughed the ball up seven times in the contest, while Draymond Green finished with six miscues. Their 13 combined turnovers was the same amount as the entire Memphis Grizzlies team. They ultimately lost the turnover battle 13-21 in an overtime game that could have been won with a single extra possession in regulation.
Sound familiar? That's because the same exact stat is what did the Warriors in against the Los Angeles Lakers.
41 Warriors turnovers in two play-in games. Cost them twice.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 22, 2021
Steph Curry and Draymond Green combined for 25 turnovers in the play-in games. pic.twitter.com/l0mQd6Ui8E
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 22, 2021
That game also went down to a single possession, in what turned into one of LeBron James' most iconic postseason shots of his career. The Warriors had 20 turnovers to the Lakers' 11.
Going back to that first play-in game, it was also a costly turnover from Stephen Curry that spoiled the Warriors' chance at a dagger against LA. The Dubs were up three with the ball approaching the 2-minute mark, when Curry fumbled the ball while being hounded by Alex Caruso.
Young players take note.. Caruso had a shot to tie the game and hit the side of the backboard.
He didn’t hang his head. His body language stayed strong.
He then forced a turnover on Steph Curry and leads a break which gets his team to the line.
Winner! pic.twitter.com/O7dREnoGyn
— Craig Doty (@CoachDoty) May 20, 2021
The Warriors' 2-game sample in the NBA play-in tournament exhibits just how razor-sharp the margins are between winning and losing a ballgame. One measly extra possession could have spelled the difference in both games against the Lakers and Grizzlies.
But at the end of the day, the Warriors are poised to bounce back next year. With guys like Poole and Toscano-Anderson soaking up some big-time moments and Stephen Curry proving he still has the fire within, the Dubs will be a serious threat once again.
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