SAN FRANCISCO — Success isn't always pretty, and the Golden State Warriors Monday night victory over the Ja Morant-less Memphis Grizzlies was ugly.
When you're in the playoffs, though, all that matters is the final score. The Warriors missed their first 15 three-point attempts, and Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole shot the ball horribly for three quarters.
That changed for Curry, at least, in the fourth quarter, and Thompson knows the biggest reason why.
“Me, him and JP's shots weren't falling like we wanted them to, but that's just Steph,” Thompson told ClutchPoints. “He has that mindset where he's the best shooter of all time. It just takes one good look at the rim or the free-throw line…Then the floodgates open.”
A flurry of fourth-quarter points from Curry gave the Warriors their first lead of the night. The two-time MVP scored 18 points in the final period and closed the game at the free-throw line. The Warriors won Game 4 101-98, taking a commanding 3-1 lead over the Grizzlies as the Western Conference Semifinals shift back to Memphis.
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Although Thompson and Poole never got it going offensively, they contributed in other ways. Thompson finished the game with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Poole had 14 points, six rebounds and five assists. The gutsy win required a collective effort, and the Warriors' experience was the difference in the final minutes.
Normally, Golden State has been known to be a great third-quarter team, but in this game, it was the fourth that made the difference. The Warriors have totaled 80 points in the last two fourth quarters, and are averaging 32.5 points per game in the fourth quarter against the Grizzlies.
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