Warriors 113, Grizzlies 105

In order to be successful in basketball, a team has to protect the ball, play solid defense and make free throws, among other things.  The Grizzlies did none of those on Wednesday as they fell to Golden State.  Specifically, the Grizzlies need to figure out how to play from ahead.  They know plenty about playing from behind, but they can't seem to hold on to their lead.  This season they are getting off to good starts but allowing their opponents to chip away at their lead, and it happened again against the Warriors.

The Grizzlies led by as many as 13 points in the first quarter, but the lead shrank steadily from there.  Anthony Morrow tied the game with a 3-pointer at the 5-minute mark of the second quarter, and the lead went back and forth into the third.  The Warriors then pulled away with an 11-2 run late in the third.  Until that point, the Grizzlies had played a good third quarter by their standards.

This was Rudy Gay's night.  Allen Iverson got the Grizzlies started, but Rudy took over hitting clutch jumpers to save countless possessions.  He finished with 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting.  It's a shame that he most likely will not be in a Memphis uniform next season unless negotiations pick up.  I don't think the Grizzlies are going to give him the money he wants, which is typical of this organization.  Plus, I'm sure Rudy wants to play for a playoff contender, and the Grizzlies are still not at that point.  He is streaky, but when he is hot, as he was in this game, he can take over.

Iverson showed flashes of his past ability early in the game, slashing to the basket and knocking down shots.  I don't know if that will be enough to placate him, but as long as he is hitting shots, the Grizzlies should probably let him get his touches.  He also made some nice passes, although they didn't always turn into assists.  He totaled 7 assists on the night to go along with 18 points.

The Grizzlies' bench got manhandled.  Iverson's 18 accounted for roughly 70 percent of the bench output as the Warriors reserves outscored the Grizzlies subs 50-26.  That has to change somehow if the Grizzlies are going to win many games this season. 

The Grizzlies continued to struggle with turnovers, giving the ball away 17 times.  That number is better than in other games, but still too high, especially when their own defense fails to stop the opponent from capitalizing.  The Warriors created 26 points from those turnovers.  Add to that 12 missed Grizzlies free throws despite having a significant advantage in attempts, and the loss is understandable.