Draymond Green had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists before being ejected late on two technical fouls in a span of 33 seconds, and the Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 123-118 on Friday night in a physical NBA Cup competition.
Stephen Curry overcame a slow start to finish with 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Buddy Hield had 18 points and Moses Moody had 14 points.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 32 points for Memphis in a matchup of teams with deep rotations that rely heavily on their reserves.
Curry, who had scored 36 and 37 points over the past two games, respectively, shot 4 for 9 with three 3-pointers.
Grizzlies: Star guard Ja Morant has begun shooting work on the field and will undergo imaging of his injured hip and pelvis area early next week once the team returns home. “He’s itching to get back on the court, so that was shooting under control,” coach Taylor Jenkins said.
Warriors: G Lindy Waters III made his second start of the season and then fell to the floor after blocking a shot with 1:58 left in the second quarter. Waters did not return due to a hyperextended left knee.
A foul was initially called against Green with 1:40 to go before halftime when Jake LaRavia punched him in the face, was challenged by the Warriors and the call was overturned. The foul was given to LaRavia instead. Golden State won another challenge midway through the fourth.
Curry didn’t make a field goal until a three-pointer 2:40 into halftime, shooting just once in 11 minutes of first-quarter action and scoring his two points on free throws. He missed his first three shots.
The Grizzlies host Denver on Sunday and Tuesday.
Golden State travels to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers after dropping the last four in the series overall and five on the road.
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