Grizzlies at Warriors
Stephen Curry was the NBA MVP and the Golden State Warriors were the best team in the league and eventual NBA champions last season, and not much has changed in 2015-16. Curry will try to follow up a 53-point outburst and keep his team undefeated when the Warriors host the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
Curry outscored the New Orleans Pelicans 28-26 in the third quarter alone during a 134-120 road win on Saturday, and the reigning MVP is motivated by negative comments from around the league. “People think we weren't supposed to be the champs last year, I wasn't supposed to be MVP, whatever,” Curry told reporters. “But I want to go out and play well and be better than I was last year.” The Grizzlies briefly slowed Curry and Golden State in the Western Conference semifinals and took a 2-1 lead in the series before dropping the next three, including two at home. Memphis is trying to get back to the top of the West and has won back-to-back games despite a slow start from star Marc Gasol.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Southeast (Memphis), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (2-1): Memphis held the Warriors to 89.5 points in its two wins during the playoffs, and defensive consistency is something toward which the Grizzlies are striving this season. “Me, personally, I believe we are still a work in progress,” veteran guard Tony Allen told reporters. “We still got to tighten up on a few things defensively.” Gasol, who re-signed with the team in the offseason, is usually an asset to that defense but notched only one blocked shot in the first three games and is averaging 5.7 rebounds.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (3-0): Curry’s 53 points at New Orleans were one shy of matching his career high, and the game’s premier shooter is 17-of-35 from 3-point range thus far in 2015-16. Memphis did a better job than most at holding Curry in check during the playoffs last spring, when he was limited to 24.5 points on 42.1 percent shooting in the six games. His best performance in the series came in the clincher, when Curry went for 32 points and 10 assists while going 8-of-14 from beyond the arc.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Curry is the first player since Michael Jordan in 1989-90 to score at least 118 points in the first three games.
2. Memphis PG Mike Conley is 5-of-10 from 3-point range.
3. Golden State C Andrew Bogut (concussion) missed the last two games and is questionable to return on Monday.