The Warriors finally got Draymond Green back on the court after he missed more than a month serving an NBA suspension and then working his way back into shape. Stephen Curry also was back in the lineup after getting a rare day off.
It hardly mattered, as Golden State led most of the way then fell off in the fourth quarter and suffered arguably its worst loss of the 2023-24 NBA season, dropping a 116-107 decision to the injury-riddled Memphis Grizzlies on Monday at FedExForum.
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Curry didn’t have his normal shooting rhythm and spent much of his night in foul trouble, but finished with a game-high 26 points. Green only scored seven points but still was effective with seven rebounds and four assists.
Jonathan Kuminga had 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Dario Šarić added 13 points and seven boards. Andrew Wiggins scored 16, and Klay Thompson was held to nine points and a team-low minus-25.
The Warriors committed 18 turnovers, twice what they had combined against the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks.
Here are the takeaways:
Golden State Warriors
DRAYMOND’S RETURN
Green made his long-awaited return off the bench midway through the first quarter and looked like he was anxious to play.
He nailed his first shot, a wide-open 3-pointer, to kick off a 7-0 run by the Warriors, then sank a 20-foot jumper not long after that.
More importantly, the Warriors’ defense was much more effective than it had been during Green’s absence. The Grizzlies were limited to less than 32-percent shooting in the first quarter and 37.2 percent for the entire game.
Green was on his best behavior, too. During one break in the game, Green could be seen talking and laughing with one of the referees. That, in itself, is a major step forward for both Green and the Warriors.
RESTED CURRY RETURNS, TOO
Curry looked refreshed after his day off in Milwaukee and played a team-high 32 minutes while shooting 11 of 20 to go with eight assists.
Curry also spent a good chunk of the game playing off the ball when rookie Brandin Podziemski was in and running the point.
Fouls were the biggest stumbling block for Curry on Monday. He picked up two quick ones in the first 5 ½ minutes of the game, then sat out most of the final six minutes in the third quarter after getting whistled for his fourth foul.
CRASHING, NOT SPLASHING
For the second consecutive game, the Warriors were far more effective attacking the basket and scoring down low than they were shooting from the perimeter.
Unlike in Milwaukee when Golden State rested the best 3-point shooter in history and were more content working inside, this time it was out of necessity because the Warriors suffered through a horrendous night shooting beyond the arc.
Golden State shot 10 of 31 ((32.3 percent) on 3s, a pivotal factor in the loss.
Conversely, the Grizzlies entered the night as the worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA but repeatedly connected from outside and made 20 of 54 shots from deep.
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