On January 5th, Beijing time, an NBA regular season match took place, with the Warriors hosting the Grizzlies. Prior to this game, the Grizzlies had a record of 23 wins and 12 losses, ranking second in the Western Conference, while the Warriors had a record of 17 wins and 16 losses, ranking ninth in the West. Both teams have one thing in common: they both have more than 10 players in their rotation. However, when facing the Grizzlies, the Warriors seem like Li Kui and Li Gui (two characters from Chinese folklore, one real and one fake). Even with numerous injuries, the Grizzlies maintain an average score of 123.5 points per game, ranking first in the league, with both offensive and defensive efficiency among the top five in the league. They also lead the league in creating 24.9 free throw attempts per game on average, and their bench averages 49 points per game, which is also the highest in the league! The Warriors don't have as many injuries, but head coach Steve Kerr has yet to find a suitable starting lineup, including the bench. Players like Li Kyle either start or do not play at all, leaving no room for compromise.
Interestingly, in their last encounter, the Warriors suffered a crushing 51-point defeat at the hands of the Grizzlies, with Curry scoring only 2 points on 7 attempts and losing by 41 points on the court! The two teams have been harboring resentment since the 2022 playoffs, and every time they meet, they tend to engage in high-scoring games. Before the game, Kerr announced that Curry would miss the game due to a knee injury. According to reports from Bay Area journalists, it is expected that Curry will only play one game in the upcoming back-to-back matches (there is a game against the Kings tomorrow, which is easier to win). On the Grizzlies' side, they are indeed in a dire situation with almost no available players: Morant has a shoulder injury, Kennard has a hamstring injury, Smart has a finger injury, Aldama + Vince Williams + GG Jackson have ankle injuries, and even Kawa Eiji is injured, resulting in an eight-player injury list!
Simply put, this is a good opportunity for the Warriors to seek revenge! The Grizzlies' starting lineup: Little Pippen + Bane + Wells + Jaren Jackson + Eddy; the Warriors' starting lineup: Schroder + Hield + Wiggins + Green + Davis. At the beginning of the game, Bane made a jumper, Schroder hit a three-pointer off a pick-and-roll, and Draymond and Schroder continued to rain down threes, forcing a timeout from the Grizzlies. After the timeout, Hield also found his outside shooting touch, and Little Pippen finally stopped the bleeding with a three-pointer! Afterwards, Bane teamed up with Little Pippen to score both inside and outside, while Draymond continued to make threes without fail. When Kuminga came on the court, he immediately added firepower from beyond the arc, and the Grizzlies relied on Clarke and Llaveria's individual efforts to respond. In the latter half of the quarter, Moody also made a three-pointer, and Llaveria continued to attack individually. At the end of the quarter, Eddy and Llaveria scored another 5 points, and the Warriors led the Grizzlies 30-29 after the first quarter.
The Warriors' first 24 points in the first quarter were all from three-pointers, with the team making 8 out of 14 threes! In the early stages of the second quarter, Jaren Jackson bumped elbows with Kuminga, and Green chased after him angrily shouting: "Don't do that!" Waters scored 8 points in a row with inside drives and outside shots, forcing a timeout from the Grizzlies. Schroder made a flying layup, and the Warriors led by as many as 11 points. Wells and Clarke took turns making putbacks, and Jackson dominated Davis, causing the Warriors to call another timeout! In the middle of the quarter, Wiggins finally made a hook shot, while the Grizzlies' Huff and Wells scored both inside and outside, especially Huff, who is a center but has excellent outside shooting! In a critical moment, it was still Kuminga who made a three-pointer to stop the bleeding, and at the end of the quarter, Schroder and Davis continued to score, while Moody added another three-pointer. The Grizzlies relied on Bane to respond, and the Warriors led the Grizzlies 58-54 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Wiggins made a floater and hit a three-pointer off a screen, while Jaren Jackson scored 6 points in a row with consecutive strong attacks. Wiggins continued to jump shoot, and Jaren Jackson was unstoppable. In the middle of the quarter, Hield's layup broke the balance between the two players' shootout, and Jaren Jackson continued to target Green for a 2+1. Kuminga suffered a right ankle sprain and had to leave the game. Hield and Wiggins then rained down threes, with Wiggins scoring only 2 points in the first half but completing his task for the game halfway through the third quarter! In the latter half of the quarter, it was still Wiggins who made threes, while Huff and Hield exchanged long-range shots from the outside. Bane added another three-pointer, and Wiggins continued to dunk! At the end of the quarter, Li Kyle and Moody also made threes, while the Grizzlies' Little Pippen responded with a three-pointer. At the end of the third quarter, the Warriors led the Grizzlies 92-86.
In the decisive fourth quarter, Eddy and Draymond Green exchanged greetings, and Draymond Green made a three-pointer. Schroder made a Curry-style super-long three-pointer, but the Grizzlies' bench slowly narrowed the gap. In the middle of the quarter, after Schroder made a 2+1, Waters added another three-pointer, and Jackson kept the score close with consecutive individual efforts. In the final moments, Wiggins made an uncontested basket, while Clarke and Llaveria started to exert themselves. However, Li Kyle responded with a slow-motion layup and Waters with a three-pointer. In the last minute, Wiggins drove past the defense for a one-handed dunk, and the Warriors pulled off a surprising 121-113 victory over the Grizzlies!
Grizzlies' stats: Jaren Jackson with 23 points and 9 rebounds, Bane with 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 10 assists, Little Pippen with 12 points and 5 rebounds, Llaveria with 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists, and Clarke with 10 points and 6 rebounds. Warriors' stats: Wiggins with 24 points, 3 assists, and 4 steals (scoring 22 points in the second half alone), Green with 9 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, Davis with 11 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals, Hield with 13 points and 4 assists, Schroder with 17 points and 9 assists, Waters with 16 points and 3 rebounds, and Kuminga with 13 points.
