The first two games of this series were an absolute bloodbath. The level of physicality in those two games in Memphis was outrageous and probably untenable. Things got noticeably more finesse-oriented as the series switched to San Francisco.
That change worked decidedly in favor of Golden State, who played their most efficient basketball in recent memory. After a turnover-plagued first half, they rode outstanding shooting to a 142-112 win.
Warriors shoot lights out, nearly break a record
Saturday night was the best the Warriors shot the ball in a very long time. They shot 63.1 percent (53-of-84) from the field, 53.1 percent (17-of-32) from three and 90.5 percent (19-of-21) from the free throw line.
That 63.1 percentage from the field is the second-highest field goal percentage in Warriors playoff history, second only to a 131-117 win over the Denver Nuggets in 2013, when they shot 64.7 percent.
Even Stephen Curry’s bizarre free throw struggles evaporated, as he went a perfect 14-for-14 at the stripe.
Just about everything was going right. Even the shots that had no business going in were going down. At one point, Klay Thompson took an off-balance, one-footed jumper from three and sank it.
Whatever frustrations there were about the last game and questions of the referees were channeled into a positive direction.
Even with Draymond Green scuttling in the first half and the Warriors turning it over 9 times as a team, they were unfazed in the second half.
Everything was smooth and in rhythm. It looked like the game they wanted to play as opposed to the brutal, grind-it-out style Memphis attacked them with to open the series.
Curry had 30 on 7-of-14 and a team-worst 2-of-8 from deep. Klay Thompson had 21 on 8-of-13 and 4-of-6 from deep. And Jordan Poole, ever the cheat code off the bench, had 27 on 11-of-17 and 3-of-5 from deep.
If you had to draw up an easy Warriors win, the recipe of all three of those guys going off was just about how you’d write it.
Oh, and Andrew Wiggins played a man’s game.
Wings make a difference
Without Gary Payton II, there were major questions about how the Warriors would compensate without his energy and persistence on both ends of the floor.
His defensive performance against Ja Morant in Game 1 was shown to be even more valuable after Morant went off for 47 points in Game 2.
So without Payton II — and still without Andre Iguodala — how would the Warriors adapt? Could they deal with the Grizzlies’ physicality?
As it turns out, Andrew Wiggins and Otto Porter Jr. answered the call. Wiggins was outstanding and has been for most of these playoffs.
Even if he’s not proactive offensively, he has been an ace defender and cutter, providing the size, strength and spacing needed in that quasi-Harrison Barnes role that lets everything else flow around him.
He was a bit more active than usual offensively, finishing with 17 points on 7-of-10 from the floor, hitting both of his threes, and coming up with a pair of steals.
Oh, and he did this, executing a ridiculous coast-to-coast dunk on a 2-for-1 opportunity.
Porter Jr. should also be commended. He had 13 points on 5-of-7 from the field and was a net positive, finally, from deep, where he was 3-for-5. He also tallied 4 boards and gave Golden State the size and defensive presence it needs without someone like Igoudala or Payton II.
He played 24 minutes and allowed Green (27 minutes) to rest for unusually long stretches of the game. Both he and Wiggins were outstanding in their non-flashy roles.
Some Kuminga minutes
You never know what’s about to happen when Jonathan Kuminga touches the ball, but you do know it’s going to be exciting.
Every touch is like he’s just been shot out of a cannon, for better or worse. We saw both sides of that tonight, as he got a surprise start – his first career playoff start — in Game 3.
There were some reckless, out of control possessions when he lost the ball and frustrated himself and the Warriors’ bench. He seemed to be especially tough on himself, showing serious displeasure after a first half turnover.
Those provided reminders that he is still just 19. As headed to the bench, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Nemanja Bjelica coached him up, providing encouragement as best they could.
Before Kuminga checked back into the game in the second half, Andre Iguodala got up from his seat at the end of the Warriors bench to coach him up.
Now, the negatives were apparent. Kuminga was the only starter with a negative plus-minus.
But he also provided energy, length and athleticism to a Warriors team that was in fairly substantial need of it. His ability to finish at the rim, push the pace and hit that offset three that he’s started to nail down all flashed at his present and future ability.
In the fourth quarter, he started feeling himself. He hit three 3s, slammed in an alley-oop and hit a reverse dunk for good measure. It wasn’t the most relaxed performance, but as usual, he was incredible to watch and finished with 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting.