Memphis Grizzlies’ Mike Conley (11) dribbles next to Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30). AP
OAKLAND, California – Stephen Curry scored 21 of his 30 points in an emphatic third-quarter stretch and the reigning NBA MVP followed up his 53-point performance from three days earlier with another gem to lead the unbeaten Golden State Warriors past the Memphis Grizzlies 119-69 on Monday night.
Curry did not play in the fourth quarter with his team up big after shooting 10 for 16 and hitting four 3-pointers to give him 21 through four games – even after Grizzlies coach David Joerger joked before the game, “We’re going to put three guys on him tonight.”
Curry also had a huge third quarter with a career-best 28 points in Saturday’s win at New Orleans, and he won Western Conference Player of the Week honors after averaging a league-best 39.3 points.
Festus Ezeli added 11 points and 10 rebounds filling in for injured center Andrew Bogut, and Curry scored 16 straight at one point in Golden State’s franchise-record 20th straight win at Oracle Arena.
The Grizzlies starters combined to shoot 11-for-46, led by Marc Gasol’s 13 points. They were outscored 72-27 over the second and third quarters.
All three of the Warriors’ opponents in four games – they faced the Pelicans twice already – have been teams Golden State eliminated in last season’s playoffs en route to an NBA championship. The Warriors beat the Grizzlies in six games in the Western Conference semifinals.
Curry made a steal and a driving hook shot with 6:28 left in the third to put Golden State ahead 75-40, and it eventually built a 46-point lead. He knocked down a three-pointer a minute later and another about 30 seconds after that.
The Grizzlies kicked off a season-long five-game, nine-day road trip in forgettable fashion, going 3-for-23 from three-point range.