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Steph Curry Says Warriors Will 'Come Out Swinging' vs. Grizzlies after Loss to Lakers
May 20, 2021
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry said his team will "come out swinging" in Friday's elimination game against the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference play-in tournament.
Curry scored a game-high 37 points in Wednesday's 103-100 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, which was the Dubs' first opportunity to clinch a playoff berth. They'll get one more chance when they take on the Grizz, and he's confident they're ready for the challenge.
"We've had to do it the last 20 games, so it's no different," Curry told reporters. "It is a win-or-go-home scenario, but we've had a high confidence and put together a string of wins and had a tough loss and had to bounce back, so we've been there."
The Warriors let a 13-point halftime lead slip away against the Lakers and watched as LeBron James knocked down the game-winning three inside the final minute.
Los Angeles clinched the No. 7 seed in the West with the win, while Golden State will either be the No. 8 seed or miss the postseason altogether depending on Friday's result against Memphis.
"We'll be ready," Curry said. "Right now, it sucks. We played pretty well tonight. Missed this type of environment. It was a lot of fun—high intensity, high competitive level. Proud of everybody that set foot on the floor tonight. They made a run in the third quarter; we turned the ball over and changed the game. We still gave ourselves a chance to win."
The Warriors went 2-1 against the Grizzlies during the regular season, including a 113-101 win Sunday that saw Curry drop 46 points. They'll also have the benefit of getting to play in front of their home crowd at Chase Center with their season on the line.
"Steph, Draymond [Green], [Kevon Looney], they've been in the playoffs year after year," head coach Steve Kerr said. "This is what the playoffs are about. Every game is hugely emotional. And you always have to respond one way or the other. Whether you're coming off a win or you're coming off a loss, it's all about just leaving that one behind and getting ready for the next one."
Memphis is coming off a 100-96 win over the San Antonio Spurs in its first game of the play-in tournament. Jonas Valanciunas led the way with 23 points and 23 rebounds with help from Dillon Brooks (24 points) and Ja Morant (20 points, six assists and six boards).
Friday's game looks like an even matchup on paper, with the Warriors holding a slight edge in defensive efficiency (fifth vs. sixth) and the Grizzlies holding the advantage in offensive efficiency (15th vs. 19th), per ESPN, though Curry can be the ultimate equalizer in the latter category.
The battle for the last playoff spot in the West will tip off Friday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.