OAKLAND -- After a mediocre first half, the Warriors pulled themselves together and coasted to a 117-101 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night at Oracle Arena.
Draymond Green played only 14 minutes, as his time was cut short by a right foot contusion that kept him sidelined for the entire second half.
Klay Thompson scored 27 points, Kevin Durant 22 and Stephen Curry 19 to lead the offensive attack.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ eighth consecutive victory:
Durant filled a lot of roles: Durant’s scoring was highly efficient, scoring his 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 8 of 8 from the line.
The 6-foot-9 forward’s playmaking -- he seemed to gravitate toward that role once Green left the game -- was incredibly solid. Durant finished with six assists, without a turnover. His unselfishness stood out.
He also grabbed six rebounds and nabbed a steal. He was plus-25 over 32 minutes.
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Durant is known for his scoring, because he’s one of the best ever at that. But in displaying his all-around game, he pretty much ensured the Warriors were going to emerge victorious from what began as a slog of a game.
Turnover bug bit them, again: So why was this game close for a half? The Warriors played uneven defense, yes, but primarily because they gave the Grizzlies 13 points with first-half turnovers.
Curry, in particular, was off his game. His shooting was off (3-of-11 in the first half) but his passes and ballhandling once again were below his standard. He committed three first-half turnovers and, for good measure, added two more in the second half.
It wasn’t that the Warriors committed a large amount of giveaways; they rang up only seven in the first half and 11 for the game.
But live-ball turnovers are the most toxic of all. The Grizzlies, not known for the fast-break activity, matched the Warriors in that area through the first three quarters.
That’s what happens when you’re receiving gifts and taking them the other way for easy baskets.
This is a problem the Warriors can overcome against most teams. It will hurt them, however, if they can’t correct against elite competition.
McKinnie shines again: For the third consecutive game, Alfonzo McKinnie was exceptional.
The 6-foot-8 wing who made the team off an outstanding training camp and preseason totaled 14 points (6-of-9 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc), three assists and two rebounds.
With Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston both out of the lineup, the Warriors needed a boost from another wing. That was McKinnie, again, as he played a season-high 29 minutes and finished plus-10.
The Warriors have until January to decide whether to guarantee McKinnie’s contract. He’s making it look like the smart thing to do.
