Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies: Game 4 Grades and Analysis
The Golden State Warriors built a double-digit lead in the second quarter and never looked back in their 101-84 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, stealing back home-court advantage and evening the series at 2-2 with a dominating win at the Grindhouse.
NBA MVP Stephen Curry lived up to the hardware with a game-high 33 points, but the team's defense was even more impressive, limiting the Grizz to just 37.5 percent shooting. And the hosts couldn't keep up with the Warriors' firepower, as they had four different players make at least three three-pointers, while the Grizzlies managed just four treys as a team.
"Joerger: "At some point, we're going to have to score 100 points to beat them in a game."
— Kevin Lipe (@FlyerGrizBlog) May 12, 2015"
The victory restores order in the series after the Grizzlies had won two in a row, and it's now a best-of-three affair as the teams head to Oakland for Wednesday's Game 5.
| Stephen Curry | A- |
| Klay Thompson | B- |
| Andrew Bogut | B |
| Draymond Green | B |
| Harrison Barnes | B- |
| Rest of Team | B- |
| Marc Gasol | B- |
| Mike Conley | C+ |
| Zach Randolph | C+ |
| Courtney Lee | D |
| Tony Allen | D |
| Rest of Team | B+ |
Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry, Point Guard
Curry dropped 21 of his 33 points in the first half, and his plus-19 rating at the break had the Dubs leading by 17. He connected on half of his 22 field-goal attempts and canned four triples. He added eight rebounds and two steals, but head coach Steve Kerr may take issue with Curry's ratio of five assists to four turnovers.
The coach was not satisfied, even with the team leading by 19 points early in the second half. His heavy emphasis on ball movement had no regard for the scoreboard.
As a team, the Dubs kicked around 21 turnovers, which on a typical night would prove costlier against the Grizz. It's a good thing Curry scored so efficiently, too, as no other Warriors player managed more than 16 points.
Grade: A-
Klay Thompson, Shooting Guard
While Curry cooked, Klay Thompson struggled from the field. Thompson got his 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting, but he did drain three of his six tries from three-point range. He added a couple of rebounds and assists, but his primary contributions came elsewhere.
Thompson brought his stout defense and helped keep the Grizz below 40 percent shooting for virtually the entire game. He put in yeoman's work to hold down Mike Conley, a potent scorer and distributor when he's in the flow, and the Grizzlies never threatened in the second half. The defensive stats read two steals and a block, but he pestered Memphis all night.
Grade: B-
Andrew Bogut, Center
Watching Andre Bogut go against Marc Gasol is a little like watching a kangaroo box a bull: It's fascinating to watch, and both participants end up worse for wear.
Though Bogut had only four points and nine boards, he came up with a titanic defensive effort that included three steals and three blocks. The Aussie invaded passing lanes and patrolled the rim, which helped keep Memphis' starting frontcourt to a manageable 31 points.
Bogut also handed out four assists, just one fewer than Curry but two fewer than Gasol in the battle between passing-adept bigs.
Grade: B
Draymond Green, Power Forward
As noted on the TNT telecast, Draymond Green had made just five field goals between the end of the first quarter of Game 1 and tipoff of Game 4. Then he came out and made his first four shots, quickly getting back into a groove.
Green stuffed the stat sheet once again with 16 points and 10 rebounds, ladling on a healthy gravy of four dimes, two steals and two blocks. His two-way skills and hustle, along with his ability to spread the floor, make him a multitool contributor even when he's not scoring.
However, Green also turned the ball over like he was former NFL quarterback Trent Green. He booted seven of the team's 21 turnovers, but that sloppiness didn't impact the result.
Grade: B
Harrison Barnes, Small Forward
From early on, Kerr seemed content to let Tony Allen attempt as many perimeter jumpers as he liked, so Harrison Barnes ended up guarding Zach Randolph on certain possessions. In fact, Bogut was the defender on Allen for numerous possessions, but he was really guarding the paint more than anything else. Needing more offense, Memphis head coach Dave Joerger countered with Jeff Green, but nothing seemed to stick to the wall for the Grizz.
Barnes came up with a solid night on a dozen points and a half-dozen boards, adding a steal and a block. All told, the mighty Dubs defense looked like it had returned to regular-season form, blocking 10 shots and swiping 11 steals. Curry was the only starter who did not record at least one of each.
Grade: B-
Rest of Team
Andre Iguodala had missed 14 of his 17 attempts from three-point range over the previous five games—and that included making both of his tries in Game 2—but he had the long ball working again in Game 4. Iguodala made three triples to get to 11 points and three assists.
David Lee played and did not sustain an injury, recording five points and a block. His presence is more important in light of Marreese Speights' ailing calf.
Shaun Livingston tallied two points and two assists in 15 minutes off the pine. And even he recorded a blocked shot.
Grade: B-
Memphis Grizzlies
Marc Gasol, Center
After a raucous start to the game with a back-and-forth pace and a cacophonous crowd, the mood soon darkened inside FedExForum. Grizz center Marc Gasol reached halftime stuck on 5-of-14 shooting, and the Dubs led by 17.
Making two out of five shots in the second half seemed downright efficient. Gasol trudged his way to 19 points and 10 boards, but it was a discouraging climb uphill the entire time. Bogut and Co. frustrated the frontcourt and threw a variety of looks at the Grizz down low—and Memphis never solved the puzzle.
But no one can accuse Gasol of lacking hustle, as he dove into the stands for a loose ball even with the game seemingly out of reach during the second half.
Grade: B-
Mike Conley, Point Guard
After the Grizzlies had succeeded in dictating the pace in their two wins in the series, Game 4 was vastly different. Conley couldn't keep up with Curry, and he couldn't get any sustained consistency out of the offense.
Too often, Conley settled for perimeter jump shots instead of trying to penetrate or move the ball. He misfired on 11 of his 15 shots, never got to the foul line and finished with 10 points. If you were told before the game that Conley would get outscored by Iguodala, you could have predicted the result.
Conley did total a game-high seven assists, and his thee steals made up for his three turnovers, but his poor shooting left the ship's sails limp.
Grade: C+
Zach Randolph, Power Forward
Randolph got hounded all night, turned it over repeatedly and never got into the flow of the game. And yet he still notched a double-double behind 12 points and 11 rebounds.
He pulled down a team-high five offensive boards, and the Grizzles' 17-10 advantage in that category will likely be a topic of discussion for Golden State's coaching staff when preparing for Game 5.
Randolph also had a team-high four turnovers, as he never found a rhythm against Green and his cohorts. It seems like he needs to take more than 10 shots for the offense to work correctly.
Grade: C+
Courtney Lee, Shooting Guard
This was the evening when the Grizzlies needed a breakout game from Courtney Lee—or anyone, really. Lee wasn't up to the task, as he bricked all three of his tries from long range and scored just six points on seven shots.
Grade: D
Tony Allen, Small Forward
Kerr's strategy against TA worked like a Swiss watch, as the defensive dynamo was unable to knock down a wide-open jumper. And after proving unable to hit those open shots, he still persisted in taking them instead of driving to the rim and forcing the issue.
He missed all three of his extremely open three-point attempts and went 2-of-9 shooting after 16 minutes on the court. That was all he saw, with the Grizzlies desperate for more offense when trailing big.
Grade: D
Rest of Team
Jeff Green did what he could, with 12 points off the bench, but those came in a hefty 34 minutes of action and at a time when the team needed him to score roughly triple that total.
Vince Carter turned back the clock on the wrong night, putting up 10 points and seven rebounds in his 24 minutes. He also dealt with foul trouble, but it was an encouraging outing from the veteran.
Grade: B+
What's Next?
Game 5 comes Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT, and after stealing back-to-back wins in Games 2 and 3, the Grizzlies may need earplugs for their return to the "Roaracle" in Oakland.
