Warriors win No. 71, 100-99
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Golden State Warriors' quest for NBA history remains alive ... barely.
The Warriors, seeking to become the first team in league history to win 73 games during the regular season, were nearly denied the opportunity by the slumping, injury depleted Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies, who had lost 11 of their past 14, led most of the final quarter before falling to the Warriors, 100-99, Saturday night at FedExForum.
Golden State is 71-9 with games remaining at San Antonio and at home against the Grizzlies. The Warriors are attempting to surpass the 1995-96 Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls, who finished 72-10.
The Warriors, who rested starting center Andrew Bogut, had difficulty against a team they had beaten soundly in two earlier games, including a 50-point win at home.
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson struggled from long range going a combined five of 24, but Draymond Green rescued the Warriors with 23 points, including the game-winning tip-in with a minute to go. He also had 11 rebounds.
Thompson added 20 points and Curry finished with 17, although he went three of 14 from beyond the arc.
Matt Barnes led the Grizzlies with 24 points and 15 rebounds and Vince Carter scored 15. Memphis shot 38.5 percent.
Curry didn't make his first 3-pointer until 7:36 to go in the third quarter. He had missed his first five attempts, but finally connected to extend his consecutive games streak of at least one 3-pointer to 150.
Memphis erased a 53-50 halftime deficit with a strong third quarter and led by nine points (74-65) late in the period after an 11-0 run capped by reserve point guard Xavier Munford's 3-pointer.
The Grizzlies entered the fourth with a 78-70 lead and went ahead by 10 on a driving dunk by Matt Barnes. They led by 10 (90-80) midway through the quarter on a reverse layup by Barnes.
But the Warriors chipped away at the lead on 3-pointers by Curry and Andre Iguodala and grabbed their first lead of the quarter, 98-97, on a 3-pointer by Harrison Barnes with 1:40 to go.
After Memphis regained the lead 99-98 on two free throws by Barnes, Green scored on a tip-in with one minute to go for a 100-99 lead. The tip-in was originally ruled offensive basket interference, but overruled upon a review.
Memphis lost for the eighth time in nine games.
With Curry limited to six points on three of nine shooting -- including zero of five from beyond the arc – the Warriors were unable to pull away from the injury depleted Grizzlies in the opening half.
The Warriors led 53-50 at halftime, but the Grizzlies used a strong effort on the boards (a 26-22 edge) and overall hustle to remain close. The Grizzlies had seven second-chance points. The Warriors had none.
Golden State used a 15-2 run midway through the first quarter to build its largest lead of the half at 26-19.
Behind Carter, who got the start for injured Grizzly swingman Tony Allen, the Grizzlies built a 48-43 lead late in the second quarter. Carter had 13 points, five rebounds and two assists at the half.
The Warriors shot an uncharacteristic 29.4 percent (five of 17) from 3-point range in the first half, but were 21 of 42 overall.
NOTES: Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who was a reserve on the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls team that set the NBA record with 72 wins, said as with Michael Jordan 20 years ago, G Steph Curry is growing immensely popular around the league. "Everybody's wearing his jersey, yelling his name and following him around," Kerr said. "Whether it's at home or on the road, we seem to have a lot of blue and yellow jerseys, and most of them say Curry on them." ... Memphis G/F Tony Allen missed the game because of a sore left hamstring. Allen has scored 20 or more points four times in his last 17 games after not scoring 20 or more in his previous 275 games. ... The Warriors are attempting to become the first team in NBA history to go through a regular season without losing back-to-back games. The Warriors end the regular season with a road game at San Antonio and a home game against the Grizzlies. ... The Grizzlies will finish the season with a winning record for the sixth straight year. Only the San Antonio Spurs (19 straight) and Oklahoma City Thunder (7) have longer streaks.