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Steph Curry is standing up for his Golden State Warriors teammate as the playoff series with the Memphis Grizzlies grows increasingly contentious.
The Warriors manhandled the Grizzlies in the pivotal Game 3 on May 7, winning 142-112 while shooting a blistering 63.1% from the field and 53.1% from behind the three-point arc. There were some heated moments in the fourth quarter after Grizzlies star Ja Morant went to the locker room with a knee injury following a run-in with Warriors guard Jordan Poole. As he was going for a loose ball, Poole appear to grab onto Morant’s knee, a play that some on Memphis thought was intentional.
Curry strongly disagreed.
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Curry Stands up for Teammate
After the game, Curry was asked by reporters about the play where Morant was hurt, and made it clear that he believed there was no ill intent on Poole’s part. Curry also made reference to a term the NBA used in 2019 when it ruled that Minnesota Timberwolves Josh Okogie didn’t foul Curry on a three-point attempt despite being seen slapping Curry’s ankles. The league said that Okogie made “hot stove contact” with Curry, which it said was not a foul.
“It’s unfortunate that it’s a conversation right now because obviously nobody wants to see anybody get hurt, but there’s nothing malicious about what Jordan did,” Curry said. “There’s no comparison to what Dillon [Brooks] did or what Draymond … like nothing in that vein. So it’s not a joking matter that Ja’s hurt but all the rest of it is just total BS in terms of the conversation right now. Y’all remember that term they came up with ‘hot stove contact’? That’s what it felt like. Keep it moving.”
Fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson joined in defending Poole after the game, saying the 22-year-old would never intentionally hurt another player.
“I mean, me personally, I’ve been through a tough knee injury and I don’t think there was any malicious intent from Jordan,” Thompson said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “I don’t even think he’s strong enough to affect somebody’s knee. But we’re not out there trying to hurt people or trying to club people in the back of the head on a fastbreak. We play the game the right way. I’m going to have his back because … he’s not … no.”
Grizzlies Angry Over Play
Some members of the Grizzlies may not see the play the same as Curry and Thompson. Immediately after the game, Morant tweeted an apparent shot at the Warriors and head coach Steve Kerr. In the now-deleted tweet, Morant shared a video of the play and a claim that Poole “broke the code.” In the previous game, Kerr accused Memphis guard Dillon Brooks of “breaking the code” when he committed a hard foul on Warriors guard Gary Payton II that left him with a fractured elbow.
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said on Sunday that Memphis general manager Zach Kleiman has been in contact with the league about the play, which could have an effect on the series going forward. Morant is expected to miss Game 4, Jenkins said.
The series has been heated from the outset, with Warriors big man Draymond Green being ejected in Game 1 after being assessed a flagrant 2 foul on Brandon Clarke.
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