Red-hot Warriors rain triples on shorthanded Grizzlies to take Game 1

It wasn't even close.

The Golden State Warriors shot 51.3 percent from the field, including 13 3-pointers to down the Memphis Grizzlies 101-86 to capture the opening game of the Western Conference semifinals.

The Warriors hung 61 points on the fourth-ranked Grizzlies' defense in the first half, while shooting 62 percent from the field. The Grizzlies hung tight with some hot shooting of their own and trailed by just nine at the break.

But the third quarter proved to be the difference. The Warriors cut down on their turnovers and clamped down on defense, holding the Grizzlies to just 14 points in the frame. Meanwhile, some red-hot shooting from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green was enough to tide over their offense.

That gave way to a 17-point edge heading into the fourth, one that the Warriors would not relinquish. 

After the game, the MVP-to-be Curry gave a cautiously tepid review of his team's performance on offense.

"I think now we've got the cobwebs out of our offensive game. We should be able to build some momentum," Curry said.

The Warriors also set a franchise high with their 21st-straight home victory. They are now a combined 42-2 at home between the regular season and playoffs.

Turning Point

The third quarter saw the Warriors step up defensively. The Grizzlies still got theirs through the interior combination of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, but with Mike Conley sidelined, the Grizzlies lacked any hint of a perimeter punch.

However, that wasn't the most frustrating part for the Grizzlies. They didn't let their failing offense affect their defense, which was still on-point. But with Curry on the other end, it didn't seem to matter.

The shot that broke the Grizzlies back came at the hands of Curry. Two minutes earlier, Curry broke the will of Nick Calathes by draining a pull-up in his eye against some top-notch defense. Then, Curry proceeded to embarrass the Grizzlies' other point guard in Beno Udrih to push Golden State's lead up to 20.

Star Performer

It wasn't the 33.8 points that Curry averaged against the New Orleans Pelicans in Round 1, but it was impressive nonetheless.

Every time the Grizzlies threatened to come back, Curry had an answer, be it a pull-up triple, a slick drive to the hoop or an amazing find in pick-and-roll. He gave the Grizzlies fits, as they simply had no one to check him (save for Tony Allen, who was preoccupied with Klay Thompson).

Curry went on to finish with 22 points, three rebounds, seven assists, four steals and four 3-pointers in the win. He was a plus-14 in 38 impressive minutes. Outstanding stuff from the likely MVP.

Highlight Reel

Draymond shakes what his mama gave him:

The Grindfather does not care for silly kids dancing:

Things are not going well for Conley:

Series at a Glance

Game 1: Warriors 101, Grizzlies 86 (Warriors lead 1-0)
Game 2: Tuesday, May 5, 10:30 p.m. ET
Game 3: Saturday, May 9, 8 p.m. ET
Game 4: Monday, May 11, 9:30 p.m. ET
Game 5*: Wednesday, May 13, TBD 
Game 6*: Friday, May 15, TBD
Game 7*: Sunday, May 17, TBD

*If necessary