MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After splashing just about every shot he put up through three quarters, Stephen Curry finally slowed down during a crucial stretch on Tuesday night.
The greatest shooter ever entered the fourth quarter of an emotional, high-stakes game against the Memphis Grizzlies with 45 points and only needing three more 3-pointers to tie the NBA’s single-game record, which former teammate Klay Thompson holds.
Despite Curry’s sensational showing, the Golden State Warriors left a slight opening for Memphis to snatch away a victory. However, the Grizzlies’ defensive flaws have left them reeling over the past few weeks, and those issues bit them again.
Curry missed five of six shots midway through the fourth quarter, which seemed hard to believe, allowing Memphis to take a four-point lead with just over three minutes remaining.
Then, it all came crashing down.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant, who ended the night with 36 points and six assists, got lost on a screen while chasing Curry, allowing the best player on the floor to step into a wide-open corner 3-pointer. Bang.
https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2025/04/02023215/Curry-3.mp4
Warriors star Jimmy Butler followed that up by drawing fouls on back-to-back possessions, the latter of which turned out to be the sixth foul of the night on Grizzlies two-way dynamo Jaren Jackson Jr.
With 90 seconds remaining, Memphis needed a stop to keep the game within reach. And it did just that despite giving up another wide-open 3 to Curry. But it didn’t matter because the Grizzlies stood around and watched while Warriors guard Brandon Podziemski raced into the lane and tipped in Curry’s miss to eliminate any hope of a comeback.
The Warriors eventually escaped with a 134-125 victory, powered by Curry, who finished with 52 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and five steals. His 12 made 3s were two short of the record.
This story is all too familiar for the Grizzlies. When it’s time to lock in and get defensive stops, this team isn’t capable. Now, those failures have the Grizzlies (44-32) dropping in the standings with only a few games left in the regular season.
“Overall, there are no moral winners in sports. It’s a zero-sum game,” Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “You can sense they’re hurting. Everybody’s hurting in that locker room. It hurts when you put yourself out on the line and you come up a little short. That’s life. That’s sports. That’s natural growing pains.”
The Warriors (44-31) went through their growing pains. They are aware of what it takes to perform at the highest level in games with massive playoff implications.
It was no surprise to see Curry and the rest of his team execute at this level, knowing what was on the line. The Grizzlies and the Warriors entered Tuesday night tied in the loss column, hoping to create some cushion between themselves and the teams currently set to be in the Play-In Tournament.
This game meant even more for the Grizzlies, who have struggled mightily in recent weeks and haven’t won a game against a quality opponent in months. After Tuesday’s loss, Memphis dropped to 2-8 in its last 10 games and extended its streak to 12 consecutive losses against opponents with a .500 record or better.
Minnesota’s double-overtime win on Tuesday means there’s now a three-way tie in wins between Golden State, Memphis and Minnesota for the fifth, sixth and seventh spots in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies were the No. 2-seeded team in the West just over a month ago. Now, they’re in danger of being in the Play-In Tournament.
This recent collapse was a big reason Memphis made the shocking move of firing former head coach Taylor Jenkins last Friday.
Much of the discussion following Jenkins’ firing centered on the new offense he was tasked with implementing this season and how it accommodates Morant and Jackson. But the true reason this team finds itself in this precarious position is due to the continued slippage on defense.
Not too long ago, Memphis had back-to-back 50-win seasons powered by tenacious defensive units. But since Feb. 1, the Grizzlies rank 19th in defensive rating, and they’ve given up at least 17 3-pointers in seven of the last eight games. They look like a team that’s lost touch with who they are.
“It’s been the last couple of months. We’re just struggling to find our identity on that end,” Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane said.
While the defensive downfall has been apparent, it’s tough to overlook how competitive Memphis was in this game despite Curry’s remarkable performance. If a few breaks had gone their way, the Grizzlies could’ve easily won.
When Curry has these performances, it usually results in the other team folding. But every time it seemed like Memphis was out of it, it found a way to storm back. They remained confident and Morant and Jackson showed up the way stars are supposed to on nights like this.
But as much credit as the Grizzlies deserve, there’s still an expectation that a team in this position should do more to prevent Curry from having an all-time performance on their home court.
Memphis knew exactly what was on the line Tuesday night and allowed Curry during the first quarter to put up 19 points, five rebounds and four assists while shooting 7 of 8 from the field and 5 of 6 from 3-point distance. And most of his looks were wide open.
The Grizzlies had to throw the first punch. Instead, Curry set the tone early on. And with a player like Curry, it’s almost impossible to put his fire out once it starts.
“Locking into the game plan. Knowing your personnel. Being disciplined,” Morant said when asked about his team’s issues on defense. “You have the greatest shooter in the world. He shouldn’t even attempt that many 3s.”
One of the terrifying realities Memphis is starting to realize is that its issues aren’t solvable by playing with more effort. The Grizzlies played with a ton of it on Tuesday night. The physicality has been decent as well. While there were some mental lapses, that’s not the main problem.
The fact is that this team’s personnel has put them in a tough position in certain matchups. The loss of Brandon Clarke, who is out for the season with a high-grade PCL sprain, has removed some much-needed defensive versatility.
It was apparent how much he was missed in the last two games.
In Monday’s loss to the defending champion Boston Celtics, Bane defended Celtics big Kristaps Porziņģis despite Bane being seven inches shorter. Because of the defensive matchups, the Grizzlies lacked better options.
To no surprise, Porziņģis’ size in the paint gave Bane trouble all night, and Bane’s impact was reduced mightily in the second half once he got in foul trouble.
On Tuesday night, Jackson got in early foul trouble, which forced rookie center Zach Edey to play heavier minutes than expected. While Edey had 10 points and 16 rebounds, his limitations as a perimeter defender opened up some easy opportunities for Curry and others behind the 3-point line.
Steph gets the Edey matchup and patiently draws him out for a pull-up. pic.twitter.com/xEvz9PqL0e
— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) April 2, 2025
The desperation continues to rise as Memphis tries to get back on track, but what can it do if the defenders needed aren’t there?
Iisalo’s job was tough enough, taking over a team with nine games left in the regular season. Solving this problem only adds to the degree of difficulty.
“There are no magic tricks. It’s just coming up with a better defensive game plan,” Iisalo said. “Just being ready when the game starts. … Doing the simple things well.”
(Photo: Petre Thomas / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
