What we learned as the Warriors beat the Grizz to remain undefeated in the NBA Cup originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Matching the energy of Tuesday night simply wasn’t going to happen three days later at the Chase Center.

The air in the building throughout Klay Thompson’s return was an NBA playoff atmosphere. The atmosphere on Friday night buffered as millions streamed the spectacle of a 58-year-old pigeon fighting a cartoon character cosplaying as a boxer.

A relegation match was certainly on the table. Instead, the Warriors fought off early shooting struggles and outlasted the Ja Morant-less Memphis Grizzlies, 123-118.

Steph Curry in his previous two games scored a total of 73 points and made 12 3-pointers. The Grizzlies made it a point to match Curry wherever he went, which led to him scoring just 13 points in 26 minutes. Curry took just nine shots, going 4 of 9 overall and 3 of 7 on threes. But he added eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.

As the Warriors made 19 threes and had a 41.3 3-point percentage, the Grizzlies made just seven, with a low 16.7 3-point percentage. The Warriors also won the bench battle, 67-61.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors, who improve to 10-2, as well as 2-0 in the NBA Cup.

Draymond from downtown

On a night where Curry isn’t an inferno, every point counts. Especially from Draymond Green, and even more so from behind the 3-point line.

Green missed his first two 3-point attempts in the first quarter and didn’t attempt a single one in the second. But in the third, he connected on 2 of 4 shots from long range. It’s not exactly a heater, but historically it’s a big deal for the Green and Golden State as a whole.

Back-to-back threes early in the third quarter by Green gave the Warriors an 11-point lead on both marks. It also pushed his streak of hitting multiple threes to four consecutive games, matching a career high. How big of a deal is it? The Warriors are now 140-30 all-time in the regular season when he makes two or more 3-pointers in a game.

This past season, Green shot a career-high 39.5 percent on 3-pointers. After going 3 of 7 against the Grizzlies, Green is now shooting 45.2 percent from beyond the arc this season and making 19 of 42 attempts.

Tough Luck For Waters

The Warriors suffered a blow from the injury bug on Thursday when it was announced that De’Anthony Melton suffered a sprained left ACL. Coach Steve Kerr said in his pregame news conference that there is still no timetable for Melton’s return, but he is expected to miss at least some games. Then in the second quarter Friday night, the Warriors were again bitten by an injury.

Lindy Waters III made her second start of the season, stepping in for Melton, scoring five points in the first quarter. His 3-pointer from the corner marked the Warriors’ first three points of the night.

With two minutes left in the first half, Waters was up eight points and had made two threes. He also had a good block, but the result saw him on the ground and out for the game. Waters jumped off two feet to meet Santi Aldama at the rim to block him off the backboard. But when he landed, Waters’ left leg buckled and he immediately grabbed his left knee. Water rolled on the floor to get out of the game as they writhed in pain.

After being down for a little while and being tended to by trainers, Waters got up and jogged down the tunnel unaided, but with a slight limp. At halftime, the Warriors announced he was out for the rest of the game with what was diagnosed as hyperextension in the left knee.

Brandin Podziemski started the second half in Water’s place.

The game of the game

Scratch that. Play of the year? From a pure highlight standpoint, it has to be.

Heart and life with the eyes in the back of the head. Podziemski showed all three in a game that seemed too good to be true. Words don’t do it justice. Watch out and do your best to keep your jaw from hitting the floor.

What started with Jonathan Kuminga knocking away a Grizzlies pass attempt ended with him throwing down a dunk on the run for two points. In the middle was one of the more impressive passes of anyone in the entire NBA. Not only did Podziemski run into the first row of fans to keep the game alive, he used his non-dominant right hand to whip a behind-the-back pass, somehow delivering it in stride for Kuminga, who caught the ball off a bounce and quickly jumped to dunk over former defensive lineman Jaren Jackson Jr.

The start to the season has been less than ideal for Podziemski. That play is also a direct example of the energy he always brings whenever his name is called.

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