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Game Preview: Warriors at Grizzlies - 2/10/17

The Warriors play the first of three-straight road games on Friday night in Memphis.

Warriors at GrizzliesFriday, Feb. 105:00 p.m.FedExForum

TV: CSN Bay Area
RADIO: 95.7 The Game, Warriors Radio Network

GRIND CITY
The Warriors begin a three-game road trip on Friday night when they travel to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies. This will be the third of four matchups between the two teams this season, after Memphis proved victorious in each of the first two encounters. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Watch the action on CSN Bay Area and NBA League Pass*, or listen to the call on 95.7 The Game on the Warriors Radio Network.

*Only available outside of the Bay Area

LAST TIME OUT
The Warriors shot 56 percent from the floor and connected on 15-of-28 3-pointers in Wednesday’s 123-92 victory over Chicago at Oracle Arena. Full Recap

MATCHUP AT A GLANCE

GSW
44-8
1st in West
118.3 PPG (1st)
45.1 RPG (6th)
31.2 APG (1st)

MEM
33-22
6th in West
100.7 PPG (26th)
43.3 RPG (18th)
20.7 APG (25th)

PROJECTED STARTERS

GSW: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and JaVale McGee

MEM: Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Chandler Parsons, JaMychal Green and Marc Gasol

INJURY & ROSTER NOTES

GSW: Zaza Pachulia (right rotator cuff strain) and David West (non-displaced fracture, left thumb) are out. Team Notes

MEM: Wade Baldwin (D‐League), Deyonta Davis (D‐League) and Jarell Martin (D‐League) are not with the team. Team Notes

THE BIG THREE-QUALIZER
Given the structures of the two rosters, one might expect the Warriors to possess a significant advantage in the area of three-point shooting over the Grizzlies, but that’s not the way it has played out in their matchups so far this season. Over the course of their two earlier meetings, Memphis has shot 21-of-59 (.356) from three-point land, while Golden State has made only 17-of-57 (.298) attempts from beyond the arc. Despite the fact that the Dubs not only shoot the three-pointer at the second-best clip (.389) in the NBA this season, but also possess the league’s top three-point defense (.319), Memphis has had the upper hand in that department, and that has had plenty to do with the fact that the Grizzlies are the only team to beat the Warriors twice so far this season. Memphis ranks third in the league in opponent three-point percentage, and they’ve already made more three-pointers this year than they did all of last season. In a matchup between two sides seemingly destined for playoff berths, it may come down to who wins the battle beyond the arc on Friday night.

TEAM LEADERS

GSW
PTS: Durant (25.7)
REB: Durant (8.4)
AST: Green (7.3)

MEM
PTS: Gasol (20.8)
REB: Randolph (8.3)
AST: Conley (6.2)

MEMPHIS SCOUTING REPORT
You have to hand it to the Grizzlies. Despite numerous injuries to several key players, Memphis just keeps on trucking, and the result has been a team that currently sits at 33-22 on the season, good enough for sixth in the Western Conference. They sit just percentage points behind the Clippers in fifth (who’ve played fewer games), and are 8.5 games ahead of Denver in eighth, so at this point, they seem headed for their seventh-straight playoff appearance. They’ve won six of their last seven games heading into Friday’s matchup with Golden State, and are back to operating at near full-strength. They possess the league’s fourth best defensive rating, while the Warriors are tied with San Antonio for the NBA-lead in that category, so chances are Friday’s game could turn into a grind-it-out affair, which is exactly how Memphis likes it.