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A one-point win has kept the Golden State Warriors in with a chance of becoming the first team in NBA history to record 73 wins in a season, as the Warriors got across the line despite a relatively quiet performance from Steph Curry.
Final score
Memphis Grizzlies 99
Golden State Warriors 100
Can the Golden State Warriors (70-9) break the record for most wins in a season? Only if they defeat the Memphis Grizzlies (42-37) today away from home. Join The Roar from 10:00am (AEST) for live score updates.
The Warriors are only the second team ever to record 70 wins. Arguments about whether or not they can get that elusive 73 have dominated the basketball world.
Their biggest obstacle is clearly facing the Spurs tomorrow in San Antonio, but they can’t afford to get complacent with this game.
The Grizzlies have been completely decimated by injuries this season. They have fought admirably to be currently sitting sixth in the West, but unfortunately for them they’re unlikely to get a proper crack at a playoff run without their full team.
With Mike Conley and Brandan Wright out for the season and Marc Gasol out for this game it doesn’t seem likely that they will trouble the Warriors much, but stranger things have happened.
Expect Memphis to attack Golden State hard in the one area they may have an advantage over them, the paint.
Zach Randolph has averaged over 20 points per game in the last ten games and has kept the Grizzles ticking. He is a big presence down low that even Warriors’ big men and defensive aces, Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli, may have trouble containing.
When Golden State deploy their favourite small-ball line-up (Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Iguodala and Green) they could have some issues defending the painted area giving up so much size to Memphis.
However, Golden State can stretch the floor so spectacularly with that line-up and draw the Memphis bigs out to the three-point line that they should do some serious damage on the scoreboard.
The Conley injury is a massive blow, particularly against Golden State. He is one of the best defensive guards in the league and just the guy you would want out there when facing the most offensively gifted player alive in Steph Curry.
They still have Tony Allen, the man Kobe Bryant describes as the best defender he’s ever faced, but he’ll most likely have his hands full with Klay Thompson – the man is only human after all.
The Grizzlies won’t let the Warriors walk all over them on their home court, I think privately they (or any team) would love to be the team that stops Golden State getting the record – not vindictively, it just comes down to pride.
But they’ve struggled lately, with the injuries really taking their toll, Golden State are fired up and should be too strong here and get win number 71.
Prediction: Warriors by 19
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