NBA: Midgame explosion guides Warriors past Grizzlies
Published March 21, 2024 2:39pm Jonathan Kuminga had a team-high 26 points and the Golden State Warriors used a 22-0 burst bridging the second and third quarters to break a tie and pull away from the Memphis Grizzlies en route to a 137-116 triumph on Wednesday in San Francisco. Klay Thompson poured in 23 off […]
Tomas Kauer - News Moderator 
Jonathan Kuminga had a team-high 26 points and the Golden State Warriors used a 22-0 burst bridging the second and third quarters to break a tie and pull away from the Memphis Grizzlies en route to a 137-116 triumph on Wednesday in San Francisco.
Klay Thompson poured in 23 off the bench, Andrew Wiggins chipped in with 22 points and Stephen Curry had 14 in just 24 minutes, helping Golden State (36-32) snap a three-game home losing streak.
Draymond Green (10 points, game-high 12 rebounds) and Chris Paul (12 points, game-high 14 assists) contributed double-doubles for the Warriors.
On a night when the Grizzlies (23-47) attempted 49 3-pointers, rookie GG Jackson II buried seven en route to a season-high 35 points and Santi Aldama hit six in a 27-point effort. However, they couldn’t prevent Memphis’ fourth consecutive loss.
The Grizzlies used 12 3-pointers and nine offensive rebounds to play the Warriors evenly at 58-all for the first 22 minutes.
But then two Golden State flurries blew the game open.
The first occurred over the final 1:54 of the half, when Kuminga had a 3-pointer and a dunk, Thompson sank a trey and Green added an interior hoop in a 10-0 run that opened a 68-58 halftime lead. Kuminga had 18 points in the half.
The break didn’t stall Golden State’s momentum, as Wiggins had seven points, including a 3-pointer, in a 12-0 flurry over the first 2:14 of the third period that made it a 22-point game.
Kuminga shot 12-for-17, Wiggins 9-for-14 and Trayce Jackson-Davis 6-for-8 en route to 13 points, helping the Warriors shoot 58 percent overall. Wiggins hit four of his six 3-point attempts, Thompson five of his 11 and Kuminga and Paul two out of three apiece on a night when the Warriors went 19-for-39 (48.7 percent) from deep.
The Grizzlies attempted 30 3-pointers in the first half, giving them a chance to break the NBA regulation-game record of 63. But they chucked up just 19 more in the second half and finished 18-for-49 (36.7 percent).
Jaren Jackson Jr. added 28 points for the Grizzlies, while Jake LaRavia had 12 off the bench. DeJon Jarreau matched his career high with 10 rebounds, while Aldama also found time for nine rebounds and four assists.
–Field Level Media/Reuters
