On the Wrong Side of History: Grizz vs. Warriors Recap
It was the finale of the 2015-2016 season. A total of 81 games had been played by both teams. The Memphis Grizzlies had managed to win 42 of their 81. The Golden State Warriors had 72 wins. A 73rd win would mean that the Warriors would rewrite history as the team with the most wins in a season in NBA history.
The Grizzlies came in losing 9 of their last 10 games, including a literal last second loss to the Warriors just a few days before in their last home game of the season, 100-99. The Warriors had 9 losses for the whole season and weren’t looking for their 10th.
The last time the Grizzlies were in Oracle Arena they lost by 50 points, and they were playing at “full strength” that fateful night in November. So, saying that getting a win in Oracle Arena was going to be tough would be an understatement.
Although the teams played a pretty even 2nd half, the 20 point deficit that the Grizzlies had after the 1st half was never erased. The Warriors went on to defeat the Grizzlies 125-104 and rewrote history as the team with the most wins in NBA history.
Team Leaders
The Memphis Grizzlies were once again led by Zach Randolph with 24 points (11/21 shooting) with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. He was the only starter in double digits. Vince Carter and Jordan Farmar each had 9 points, Matt Barnes had 6, and Chris Andersen didn’t score.
Lance Stephenson led the Grizzlies bench with 22 points (8/14 shooting) with 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. JaMychal Green had 12 points, followed by Jarell Martin with 11, PJ Hairston with 5, Xavier Munford with 4 and Bryce Cotton with 2. The Grizzlies bench outscored its starters 56-48.
The Golden State Warriors were led by Steph Curry with 46 points (15/24 shooting; 10/19 from 3 pt line), 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Curry also made his 400th 3 point shot of the season in the record breaking game.
Head to Head
Field Goals: Warriors win. Grizzlies shot 43% (42/98) compared to the Warriors 53% (46/87).
3 PT Field Goals: Warriors win. Grizzlies shot 33% (8/24) compared to Warriors 43% (20/47).
Rebounds: Warriors win. Grizzlies had 40 rebounds compared to the Warriors 51 rebounds.
Turnovers: Grizzlies win. Grizzlies had 13 turnovers compared to the Warriors 17 turnovers.
Free Throws: Warriors win (barely). Both teams had 16 free throw attempts. Grizzlies made 12; Warriors made 13.
Steals: Grizzlies win. Grizzlies had 12 steals compared to the Warriors 7.
Blocks: Warriors win. Grizzlies had 1 block, while the Warriors had 7.
Points in the Paint: Grizzlies win. Grizzlies outscored Warriors 46-38 in the paint.
Fast Break Points: Warriors win. Grizzlies scored 10 points on fast breaks compared to 34 by the Warriors.
Bench Points: Grizzlies win. The Grizzlies bench outscored the Warriors bench 56-33.
Well, the regular season is over. After suffering injury after injury, making multiple trades, and seeing a total of 28 names on the roster, the Memphis Grizzlies finished the season 42-40. They finished the season 7th in the Western Conference, 3rd in the Southwest Division, and 15th in the league despite a tumultuous season. The team will make their 6th straight appearance in the playoffs starting this Sunday against their nemesis, the San Antonio Spurs.
Game 1 – Sun April 17 Memphis at San Antonio 7:00PM 8:00PM TNT
Game 2 – Tue April 19 Memphis at San Antonio 8:30PM 9:30PM TNT
Game 3 – Fri April 22 San Antonio at Memphis 8:30PM 9:30PM ESPN
Game 4 – Sun April 24 San Antonio at Memphis 12:00PM 1:00PM ABC
Game 5 * Tue April 26 Memphis at San Antonio TBD TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 28 San Antonio at Memphis TBD TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat April 30 Memphis at San Antonio TBD TBD TNT
If you don’t have your tickets to Game 3 and Game 4 yet, head over to FedEx Forum and get your ticket so you don’t miss any of the action. Get ready to cheer the home team on Sunday night as they face the San Antonio Spurs. Go Grizz!!
- Grizzlies dominate Hawks again in 118-101 victory - March 8, 2020
- Grizzlies rally too late, fall to Pelicans 126-116 - January 21, 2020
- Grizzlies win fifth straight, defeat Warriors 122-102 - January 13, 2020
