Grizzlies End Warriors' Incredible Streak and Other Tuesday Takeaways
The 21-3 Golden State Warriors still own the league's best record after Tuesday night's 105-98 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, but their dominant 16-game winning streak finally came to an end against a team making a statement in its own right.
And to fully appreciate that statement, one also has to soak in just how special this streak has been.
Suffice to say, Memphis didn't seem particularly concerned—not at the FedExForum, where it's now 12-1.
Grizzlies big men Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph combined for 41 points against a front line that's missed starting center Andrew Bogut since he suffered a knee contusion early in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 8.
With power forward David Lee not yet back from a strained hamstring, Golden State counted on Festus Ezeli and the undersized Draymond Green to protect the rim. Though they combined for six blocks (five from Green), the Grizzlies were undeterred.
Even point guard Mike Conley did much of his damage in the paint and at the charity stripe, where he made all five of his free-throw attempts.
The Warriors can't blame this one entirely on the size disparity, though.
Star point guard Stephen Curry made just one of his 10 three-point attempts, and Green was 2-of-11 from the field. Though both contributed in other ways, Golden State needed another 10 points from somewhere, and the jumpers just weren't falling.
And while Golden State entered the game with the league's most efficient defense (allowing just 95.2 points per 100 possessions, according to Hollinger Team Stats), it was the Grizzlies' seventh-ranked defense that held head coach Steve Kerr's offense to 39 combined points in the second and third quarters.
Though the Warriors have so far weathered their early injuries in stride, keeping it up against the Western Conference's elite teams isn't easy. An impressive regular-season record may not count for much if this team isn't healthy in April and May.
Having a full complement of interior players will be especially important for a team that's increasingly making its living at the defensive end. But even with Lee playing just seven minutes so far this season, this team has been nothing short of dominant.
Grantland's Andrew Sharp recently summed up Golden State's start pretty aptly:
"They have a top-10 offense, an MVP candidate in Steph Curry, a budding superstar in Klay Thompson, and arguably the deepest rotation in one of the deepest conferences ever. They move the ball better than anyone in the league, and move just as well off the ball on defense. It all looks effortless.
"
Even if it's anything but.
For their part, the Grizzlies move to 20-4 this season and further complicate the title conversation with yet another quality win. They'll ride their five-game winning streak into San Antonio Wednesday night, eyeing to further secure their grip on a stacked Southwest Division against the reigning champion Spurs.
"We're pleased with the win," head coach Dave Joerger told reporters after the game. "But with five games in seven nights, you tend to look at the bigger picture."
In addition to the meeting with San Antonio, the Grizzlies will also play the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls during that span.
Golden State and Memphis have both emerged as early favorites to dethrone those Spurs, narrowly outpacing a field of elite rivals that includes the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and now-healthy Oklahoma City Thunder.
In total, seven of the West's teams have won at least 68 percent of their games, so the Warriors and Grizzlies are hardly alone at the top. The seventh-seeded Spurs are only 4.5 games behind the top-seeded Warriors, and there's plenty of time for those standings to change.
At the moment, however, no team is playing better basketball than those Warriors—and that tells you everything you need to know about what Memphis just accomplished.
Around the Association
Jabari Parker's Season Is Over
Apparently it was too good to be true for Jabari Parker and the Milwaukee Bucks. On Tuesday, it emerged that the talented rookie won't return this season after tearing the ACL in his left knee against the Phoenix Suns on Monday.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported Tuesday evening: "The Bucks are expected to announce Wednesday that Parker is lost for the season after suffering a complete tear—not a sprain, as was initially diagnosed."
Through his first 25 appearances, Parker averaged 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, making an impressive 49 percent of his field-goal attempts for the surprisingly decent 13-12 Bucks. Milwaukee may struggle to replace him in the short term, but it can rest assured this franchise has a firm, young foundation in place.
The organization selected Parker with the No. 2 overall pick this summer, and early indications suggest the 19-year-old is going to be quite good.
Anthony Davis Returns in Fine Form
After leaving Friday's 119-114 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a chest injury, Anthony Davis didn't miss a beat in his Tuesday-night return. The 21-year-old tallied 31 points, nine rebounds and three blocks while making 12 of his 15 field-goal attempts in the New Orleans Pelicans' 119-111 win against the Utah Jazz.
Despite sitting out Sunday's 128-122 loss to the Golden State Warriors, Davis showed no signs of any lingering effects and continued what can only be described as MVP-caliber play. The third-year pro leads the league with 2.7 blocks per contest and ranks fourth in scoring with 24.6 points per game.
His 10.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per contest also rank among the league leaders.
The 12-12 Pelicans will have to fare a bit better than .500 before those MVP chants really begin to resonate, but there's no question Davis is doing his part.
Wall Dazzles, Ties Career High in Assists
Fresh off his selection as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, All-Star point guard John Wall tied a career high with 17 assists (and a not-too-shabby 21 points) in the Washington Wizards' 109-95 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"I think he still has the best ahead of him," head coach Randy Wittman told reporters after the game. "He deserved to win Player of the Week. I told him, 'That's no big deal, you deserve it.' There's nothing surprising here, let's just keep doing it."
And so far, Wall is definitely still doing it.
OKC Nears .500 With League's Hottest Streak
The Oklahoma City Thunder's 104-92 win against the Sacramento Kings was the club's seventh straight, leaving increasingly irrefutable evidence that superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are healthy and in rhythm.
They combined for 58 points, nine assists, nine rebounds and five steals and put on an all-too-familiar two-man show. Now 12-13, the Thunder are just a half-game behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the No. 8 seed out West. That's bad news for the Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets—all teams making a bid for that last playoff spot.
Quote of the Night
Head coach Derek Fisher was not pleased with his New York Knicks' effort Tuesday night.
"I thought the start was not the right way to start a professional basketball game," he told reporters after a 107-87 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. "Those guys that were in there to start the game, that was a disappointment to their teammates."
The blowout marked the third time this season New York has fallen by at least 20 points. It's lost another four games by at least 10 points.
Despite their recent 10-game losing streak (and seven-game skid before that), it's not just that the 5-22 Knicks are losing a lot. It's the way they're losing. Though New York's minus-6.0 average point differential isn't the league's worst (the Philadelphia 76ers' differential is minus-12.4), this team's lack of fight is troubling—especially for its new coach.
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