With a 123-118 victory that was far more comfortable than the final score indicates, the Golden State Warriors kept the fun going on Friday night. For the entirety of the second half of this game, the Warriors dominated, coasting to the finish line with a margin of up to 24 points.
As whistles dragged the game along and the pace dropped, the game’s conclusion became a touch off. In the process, forward Draymond Green was removed following two technical fouls on the bench, while Warriors head coach Steve Kerr received a technical foul. According to Kendra Andrews of ESPN, Kerr expressed regret to the supporters for the caliber of the second half’s basketball play after the game.
“The latter half and quarter were terrible. According to Andrews, Kerr remarked, “I felt bad for our fans having to watch that – what transpired.”
This game slowed to a standstill as the two sides concluded with a combined total of 49 fouls and 58 free throw attempts, and there was a lot of nasty basketball played. The Grizzlies shot only 7 for 42 from 3-point range that evening, and the Warriors committed 19 turnovers.
The Warriors are now 10-2 on the season and 2-0 in the NBA Cup after this victory, which puts them in a strong position to go past the group stage and into the quarterfinals. To guarantee their place, they must defeat the Denver Nuggets and the New Orleans Pelicans in their last two group stage games.
The Warriors didn’t need to put in a lot of effort to win, especially from some of their best players, and Kerr and company will be grateful for that. Stephen Curry scored 13 points in this game despite playing only 26 minutes and taking nine shots. Since Andrew Wiggins only played 21 minutes, the club had a perfect opportunity to rotate players.
Kerr will be hoping to see his team play better when the Warriors return to action on Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers in the regular season.
