Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies: Game 3 Grades and Analysis
It was a slow, grueling game, with most of the action coming from inside the arc—just how the Memphis Grizzlies like it. On their home floor, they took down the No. 1-seed Golden State Warriors, 99-89.
It was a struggle from the field all night long for the Warriors, who made just six three-pointers all game—they made six or fewer on just six occasions over the regular season. Stephen Curry had 23 points on 21 shots, and Klay Thompson contributed 20 in a losing effort.
Zach Randolph was a force in the paint for Memphis, as was Marc Gasol in the middle. The pair combined for 43 points, while Mike Conley was steady at the point. The Grizzlies controlled the tempo most of the way, playing their own game and burying the Warriors in the series, two games to one.
| Stephen Curry | C+ |
| Klay Thompson | C+ |
| Draymond Green | C- |
| Andrew Bogut | B- |
| Harrison Barnes | B+ |
| Rest of Team | F |
| Mike Conley | B |
| Courtney Lee | B |
| Zach Randolph | A- |
| Marc Gasol | B+ |
| Rest of Team | B+ |
Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry: C+
Uncharacteristically, Stephen Curry couldn't find his shooting rhythm in Game 3. He made just five of his 13 first-half shots, finishing 8-of-21, clanking numerous open threes in the first half while Memphis expanded its early lead. He ended up shooting 2-of-10 from beyond the arc.
He led the team in scoring with 23 points, but that was more out of necessity than anything else. The Warriors shot 43.2 percent as a team, failing to reach 90 points for just the third time all season.
Curry made a couple of tough looks, including a running banker in the closing minutes of the first half. But on a night when the Warriors just couldn't find a groove from the field, they needed the league's MVP to take over. Instead, he struggled almost as badly as his teammates. He turned the ball over four times while dishing out six assists.
He failed to make a field goal in the fourth quarter, scoring just three points on free throws.
Klay Thompson: C+
Like his fellow Splash Brother, Klay Thompson wasn't able to get much of anything going on Saturday. He went 4-of-8 in the first half, logging 10 points in the first half, and finished with 20 points on 13 shots. But on a night when Golden State made just six three-pointers as a team, Thompson's production just wasn't enough.
Thompson, like Curry, was found for a number of clean three-point looks throughout the first half—when Memphis was making its initial push—but couldn't stop the Grizzlies' momentum. He was able to sink the team's opening bucket in the second half, but it didn't translate into any tangible results. He was clearly shaken as the game went on, missing a pair of free throws in the fourth quarter as Golden State trailed by 14.
Draymond Green: C-
Normally Mr. Everything for this 67-win Warriors team, Draymond Green struggled to make an impact in Game 3.
He was on the receiving end of a couple of pretty Stephen Curry passes, but he wasn't able to bury them over the stingy Memphis front line. Zach Randolph had Green's number while Golden State was on the defensive end. Green did make a few heady plays and good passes, both in transition and in the half-court, ending up with a team-high seven assists.
He scored six points on 1-of-8 shooting and grabbed down six boards, but more was needed from the 25-year-old, as the Warriors now trail Memphis in the series, two games to one.
Andrew Bogut: B-
Against a bigger Grizzlies team, Golden State has needed Andrew Bogut to play up to his size. And while the center's effectiveness is rarely able to be measured in points, Kerr went to Bogut in the post on a few occasions early on.
The result: two points on 1-of-4 shooting.
The big man did grab eight rebounds in 24 minutes, keeping the Warriors in the rebound battle, while they ultimately lost 44-39. Four of those came on the offensive glass, which was the highest total on either side.
Bogut was a non-factor through most of the second half, as Kerr went with a smaller lineup almost exclusively.
Harrison Barnes: B+
The Warriors' most consistent performer over his 40 minutes, making seven of his 10 shots for 16 points. He also grabbed six boards and was able to knock down a shot when the team needed it. Golden State probably would've benefited from finding him a bit more often in Game 3.
Rest of Team: F
Marreese Speights played just five minutes but scored nine points. Shaun Livingston was on the floor for eight minutes, scoring two points on his one attempt from the floor.
Andre Iguodala shot 2-of-7 for nine points, missing all of his three triples. Leandro Barbosa went scoreless over his 10 minutes.
Memphis Grizzlies
Mike Conley: B
Following his remarkable return in Game 2 after suffering multiple facial injuries, Mike Conley didn't have as dramatic an effect as he did on Tuesday. Fortunately, his team didn't need it.
Conley finished with just 11 points and five assists, but he was responsible for a handful of momentum-shifting plays, including a huge three to put Memphis up 17 in the second—the series' largest lead to that point—and a few nice passes, both directly and indirectly leading to baskets.
As he did in Game 2, Conley cramped up in both legs toward the tail end of the fourth, but this time came back to finish the game.
Courtney Lee: B
It didn't overtly show in the box score, but Courtney Lee was responsible for a few big plays when Memphis needed it most.
Most importantly, Lee drilled a huge three-pointer with about three minutes left, just after the Warriors cut Memphis' lead to four. A few possessions later, with the shot clock winding down and the lead back down to six, he found Marc Gasol from beyond the arc, who drilled a long two-pointer off the glass from straight on.
He finished with 11 points and four assists.
Zach Randolph: A-
In one of Memphis' best playoff games this year, Zach Randolph was a catalyst down low. He shot well, going 9-of-15 from the floor, and impacted the game in several other ways as well.
He grabbed eight boards and doled out three assists, and he was involved in some high-low action with Marc Gasol in the first half, feeding his center for an easy bucket while Memphis was making its initial push.
Randolph drilled an emergency jumper as the shot clock expired in the third quarter, then helped out with another bucket on the following possession to extend the Grizzlies' lead to 18.
Marc Gasol: B+
Randolph and Marc Gasol combined for 43 points in Memphis' Game 3 win, with Gasol accounting for 21. The center also grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds over his 35 minutes.
He didn't have the same success from the floor that Randolph did, missing a bunch of shots in the second half to dip his overall clip to 6-of-17, and it nearly cost the Grizz their large lead, as Golden State cut it to four with roughly three minutes left.
He drilled a long two, which was originally ruled a three, with less than two minutes remaining off a feed from Courtney Lee. He fouled out on the following possession.
Rest of Team: B+
Tony Allen, as he typically does, came away with several impactful defensive plays on Saturday. He logged four steals, affecting a number of other plays, while scoring eight points on 4-of-8 shooting—many of those makes coming in transition.
Kosta Koufus didn't log many minutes—just 15—but the Warriors couldn't compete with his size while he was on the floor. The 7-footer made all of his four shots for eight points while grabbing six rebounds.
Jeff Green scored only seven points but was a team-high plus-20 on the evening. Beno Udrih scored seven and dished out three assists, and Vince Carter made two of his five shots, equating to four points.
Next Up
Trailing in a series for the first time this postseason, the Warriors are suddenly in a tough spot, needing to win a game on the road in order to advance to the Conference Finals. Game 4 is in Memphis on Monday at 9:30 p.m. ET.
