Grizzlies hold Curry to 0 field goals in 51-point rout of Warriors
The Memphis Grizzlies blew out the Golden State Warriors 144-93 on Thursday, handing Steve Kerr's squad the largest defeat in the NBA this season.
Warriors superstar Stephen Curry went 0-for-7 from the field, including six missed threes, marking his first career game with zero field goals while playing at least 12 minutes. Draymond Green finished without a point, rebound, or assist for only the 11th time in 837 career games. However, he'd never previously done so when playing more than eight minutes.
Curry and Green were also minus-42 and minus-41, respectively, during their time on the court. The Warriors veterans are two of four players to finish with plus-minuses lower than minus-40 in a game this season.
"We have to accept that if we don't have an answer for how a team's guarding us, we've got to figure something (else) out on the fly," Curry said after the heavy loss, courtesy of The Mercury News' Danny Emerman. "We didn't do it, and they (beat us by) 50. ... That was kind of embarrassing."
Memphis, meanwhile, had six players in double digits. Reserve forward Santi Aldama led the Grizzlies with 21 points and 14 rebounds while adding four assists, two steals, and a block. Aldama and Luke Kennard led the team with five threes apiece, contributing to the Grizzlies' single-game franchise-record 27 makes. Forward Brandon Clarke, who did not attempt a shot from distance, was the only Grizzlies player out of all 12 to play Thursday that didn't hit a three.
"When you see blood, you gotta go get it. ... We want to beat them every single time," Aldama told Grind City Media's Michael Wallace, acknowledging the Grizzlies' competitive meetings with the Warriors in recent years. "Obviously, that's not going to happen, but that's in the back of our minds, being honest.
"They got one win, we got one win - it doesn't matter by how much you beat them, but you want to make sure they know you're coming."
The loss is tied for the Warriors' fourth-largest margin of defeat in franchise history. It's also their worst result since a 52-point blowout at the hands of the Boston Celtics in March.
"I know who we are, I know what our team is about," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said, according to Emerman. "I know we've got competitors, I know we're going to bounce back. So I'm not concerned about that.
"But we've got a lot of work to do to execute, learn how to execute under pressure, take care of the ball, get good shots. We'll regroup tomorrow in Minneapolis, have practice, and get ready to go Saturday (against the Minnesota Timberwolves)."
Memphis now holds the two most lopsided victories of the season. The previous record was their 45-point win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 10.