It was a tough one for the Golden State Warriors against the Grizzlies on Friday, because in most instances–even in the modern NBA–when a team leads by 12 points with less than four minutes to play, that team generally wins. But after being blown out in the opener against the Lakers, the Warriors came back with a more convincing effort against Memphis, until the late-game collapse that ended with a Cam Boozer game winner.
It is very early, of course, but at 0-2 now, the Warriors do need to start putting together some wins before the season gets too far away from them. They have a tough three-game road trip beginning in Phoenix on Saturday, with stops in Denver and Minnesota before returning home to play the Lakers again. They will almost certainly be underdogs in all four of those games, and very hopeful of avoiding an 0-6 stumble out of the gate.
The Warriors always knew the early season was going to be a grind, with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody recovering from knee surgeries. But the loss of Kristaps Porzingis to an illness has further sapped their limited depth, and it has shown in the first two games.
Stephen Curry Struggled for Warriors
Warriors star Stephen Curry struggled in the game with 5-for-15 shooting, and was just 1-for-5 in that disappointing fourth quarter. But he understands that this team needs to keep together through early adversity, and tried to get that message to the group after the loss.
“Focus on the positives, as hard as it is,” Curry said. “We played really hard, physical. I think we had the right intentions with everything we were trying to do in the process of how we’re trying to play. I think it was night and day between the Lakers and them tonight, just on the competitive spirit and the togetherness. And even if they did make a run, we were able to respond all night.
“So, you want to have that passion. There’s a lot of talking going out there, and everybody was in the moment. So, we’re trying to build again the right habits on that, and you’d hope that things would go your way eventually, but you’re going to think about the fourth quarter for a while.”
Again, the Warriors will be back in action against the Suns on Saturday at 10 pm ET in search of their first win of the season.
Warriors’ Stephen Curry Sends Message to Teammates After Brutal Loss