Warriors at Grizzlies
The Golden State Warriors survived a back-to-back on the road with their winning streak intact and are staring at their toughest test of the last month. The Warriors will attempt to push their franchise-record winning streak to 17 games when they visit the team closest to them in the Western Conference in the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. The Grizzlies are winners of four in a row but needed overtimes to knock off lowly Charlotte and Philadelphia in the last two.
Golden State was forced into overtime in its last game as well but Stephen Curry scored eight of his 34 points in the extra period and the Warriors pulled off a 128-122 victory to run their record road winning streak to 10 in a row. Memphis appears to be in the best position to knock off Golden State, which is playing the finale of a three-game road trip and will again be without center Andrew Bogut (knee) and forward David Lee (hamstring). The Grizzlies recovered from an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter and forced overtime on Mike Conley’s 3-pointer in Saturday’s 120-115 win at Philadelphia.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, CSN Bay Area (Golden State)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (21-2): Golden State had to fight hard to earn a win over Dallas on Saturday and was down eight in the fourth quarter against New Orleans before rallying behind Curry. “This is kind of what I expected — not the crazy pyrotechnics from Steph (Curry), although that doesn’t ever surprise me — but it’s natural to have a letdown,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. “We didn’t (defend or take care of the ball), but thankfully, we’ve got really, really talented players, and we’ve got an incredibly strong competitive desire to win.” Curry has gone for 20 or more points in four straight games and handed out at least five assists in every game this season.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (19-4): Memphis trailed 95-77 with 7:39 left in the fourth quarter at Philadelphia before Conley took over, nailing a pair of 3-pointers to keep it close before tying it up at the buzzer and draining another triple to help seal it in overtime. The result was a career-high 36 points for Conley, who is averaging 23.8 points over the last four games while going 36-of-57 from the floor. The Grizzlies are leaning hard on their point guard, and Conley matched a season high with 42 minutes in each of the last two games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Warriors have yet to allow an opponent to shoot 50 percent or better from the field.
2. Memphis F Zach Randolph has recorded three straight double-doubles.
3. Golden State took the last two meetings after dropping 11 straight in the series.