Stephen Curry

The Golden State Warriors bounced back from Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 102-86 win over the Detroit Pistons at Chase Center on Tuesday.

Klay Thompson led the way with 21 points as Golden State improved to 32-12. It was Thompson's first 20-point game since 2019.

Klay at the buzzer 💧 https://t.co/JmRtOL5ncE

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 19, 2022

Andrew Wiggins added 19 points, and Stephen Curry had 18 points and eight assists. Golden State led by as many as 34 in the victory.

The Warriors are now 5-5 in their last 10 games after a torrid start to the season. Golden State overcame the absence of Draymond Green, who remains out with a calf injury.

The Pistons fell to 10-33 after their third loss in their last four games. Rodney McGruder led the team with 19 points off the bench. Hamidou Diallo had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Isaiah Stewart added 14 points with 11 rebounds. Rookie guard Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft, was held to eight points.

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Notable Stats

G Klay Thompson, GSW: 21 points (22 minutes)

F Andrew Wiggins, GSW: 19 points

G Stephen Curry, GSW: 18 points, 8 assists

G Rodney McGruder, DET: 19 points (off bench)

G Hamidou Diallo, DET: 16 points, 13 rebounds

C Isaiah Stewart, DET: 14 points, 11 rebounds

G Cade Cunningham, DET: 8 points (3-of-10 FG)

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Easy Matchup Comes at Right Time for Warriors

Sometimes, a team needs something to get its confidence back. In the Warriors' case, a home game against the 30th-ranked offense in the NBA after a tough road trip is exactly what they needed.

Golden State returned to form Tuesday with a dominant performance from start to finish. Even without Green, the Warriors had no issues shutting down the Detroit offense. The Warriors held the Pistons to 36.2 percent shooting in the first half and 2-of-15 (13.3 percent) from three-point range.

On offense, Golden State looked like the well-oiled machine we're used to seeing. The Warriors' ball movement was crisp with 20 assists on 24 made field goals in the first half.

Splash Bros 💧@warriors host the Detroit Pistons live on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/OHfOHVGgEG

— NBA (@NBA) January 19, 2022

layups#StephenCurry || #NBAAllStar

📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/l7yyaPMAwn

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 19, 2022

It's the NBA's #30 offense (Detroit) against the #1 defense (Warriors) tonight in SF. Pistons at halftime: 38 points, 36 percent shooting, more turnovers than assists, even with an inactive Draymond Green hanging on the bench and in the bunker suites. Warriors up 66-38.

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 19, 2022

HALFTIME: Warriors up 66-38 on Detroit. Fair to say, this is quite the slump-busting performance for Golden State after a rough road trip. Even without Draymond, the Warriors' defense is having no trouble with the league's worst offense.

— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) January 19, 2022

The Warriors offense stagnated in the second half with just 17 points in the third quarter and 19 in the fourth, but the team kept its large lead thanks to a vintage defensive effort.

The roar of the crowd at the Chase Center was something that surely energized the players after they went 1-3 on their road trip, and they gave their fans reasons to cheer throughout the entire game.

Wiggins stays hot 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Nf4Aigb0BO

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 19, 2022

Great ball movement and a three from Otto 💥 pic.twitter.com/wccEq8uE0S

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 19, 2022

Golden State is one of the best teams in the league, but it has yet to play at full strength this season. When Green returns, it's likely that performances like this one will become the norm for the Warriors. Tuesday's win was surely a nice way to start their run of seven straight home games.

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Pistons Get Overpowered Against NBA's Elite

This is not a knock on Detroit, but it's not a surprise that Tuesday's game played out the way it did.

The Pistons are a team that's going nowhere fast, and they were up against a juggernaut in Golden State. It also didn't help that they were without leading scorer Jerami Grant, who hasn't played since Dec. 10 because of a thumb injury.

Stewart was the lone bright spot early on for Detroit. He was active inside the paint with all 14 of his points in the first half, and he had a double-double through three quarters.

14 PTS & 8 REB at the half for @Dreamville_33 tonight 🔥@BallySportsDET | #Pistons pic.twitter.com/tOTjNu8EPA

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 19, 2022

#Pistons Isaiah Stewart quietly has had a nice game. He was active driving to the lane earlier and now he's been active on the glass.

— Rod Beard (@ajcRodBeard) January 19, 2022

Cunningham couldn't get anything going against the Warriors defense. He was held scoreless in the second half.

McGruder came alive in the second half. He scored 17 of his 19 points in the third and fourth quarters.

Rodney McGruder, in his first game since returning to the Pistons from the rescinded trade, has a season-high 19 points on 7 of 8 shooting and 4 of 5 from 3.

— Keith Langlois (@Keith_Langlois) January 19, 2022

There's not much that the Pistons can take from Tuesday's game. It would have been nice to see Cunningham flash his potential against one of the top teams in the league, but that didn't happen. Detroit will simply have to put this game in its rearview and move on to the next one.

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What's Next?

The Warriors will host the Indiana Pacers on Thursday in the second matchup of a seven-game homestand. The Pistons will look to bounce back Wednesday when they visit the Sacramento Kings.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry became the most prolific three-point shooter in history last month, but in some ways he's happy to move past that storyline.

Curry discussed how he's felt since the Dec. 14 game at Madison Square Garden in an interview with Shams Charania of The Athletic:

It’s weird, because I’m still feeling the emotions of that. It was so emotional with the lead-up and all of that. It’s nice to have that weight off my shoulder and just enjoy the way that I play the game. Every three that I make now is a new record, which is kind of funny, but I still have a lot of gratitude for all the people that celebrated it with me.

It was a memorable moment when Curry hit the 2,974th three-pointer of his career, passing Ray Allen for the most in NBA history. An immediate timeout allowed the guard to celebrate with his father, Dell Curry, and others including Allen:

Greatest. Shooter. Ever. https://t.co/YAjNe7CytG

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 15, 2021

Steph celebrates the moment with Ray Allen 🤝 pic.twitter.com/4Nmbyvmy7O

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 15, 2021

Since then, Curry has been able to refocus on basketball as the Warriors look return to title contention. The squad entered Tuesday with the second-best record in the NBA at 31-12.

Curry has been up-and-down individually in recent weeks while dealing with a hand injury, but he still ranks sixth in the NBA with an average of 26.3 points per game.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry will miss Sunday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with right hand soreness, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

He fell on it during Friday's win over the Chicago Bulls.

Any injury to the 33-year-old is sure to raise concern in Golden State given his overall importance to the team's championship hopes. After all, the Warriors went 15-50 in 2019-20 when he played just five games but have been regular title contenders for much of his career when he is on the floor.

Arguably the best shooter in NBA history, Curry has amassed a resume that includes three championships, two MVPs, two scoring titles, seven All-NBA selections and seven All-Star nods.

He is averaging 26.3 points, 6.0 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game behind 42.1 percent shooting from the field and 38.4 percent shooting from deep this season.

While the Warriors don't have anyone else who can replicate Curry's impact when he is sidelined, look for Jordan Poole to assume a larger role against Minnesota.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry allayed concerns regarding a hand injury suffered during the first half of Friday's 138-96 win over the Chicago Bulls.

According to ESPN, Curry said: "Anything that involves the hands, especially the right one, you're a little concerned. But the feeling came back, the strength came back. It hurts, but I'll be all right."

Curry suffered the injury while driving to the basket, but he managed to stay in the game and went on to finish with 19 points, two assists and two rebounds.

Steph, 33, is just two seasons removed from missing all but five games because of a broken metacarpal in his left hand.

Curry said that the previous hand injury was on his mind, but he also downplayed the severity of the latest one, saying: "I have some PTSD from two years ago. When I landed it felt kind of the same, but we'll get it looked at and figure it out. Should be all right."

Golden State's destruction of the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed was impressive given that Curry wasn't his usually dominant self.

The Warriors were also without guard Klay Thompson because of a planned rest day and forward Draymond Green, who is nursing a calf injury.

Rookie Jonathan Kuminga was the star for Golden State on Friday, as he scored a game-high 25 points off the bench in the win.

While Curry has been in a bit of a shooting slump as of late, making fewer than 50 percent of his attempts from the field in nine straight games, he is still enjoying a great season overall for a Dubs team that has the second-best record in the NBA at 31-11.

Overall, Curry is averaging 26.3 points, 6.0 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 4.9 three-pointers made per game, putting him in the running to potentially win his third career NBA MVP award.

The Warriors will need the seven-time All-Star to be healthy and productive down the stretch in order to return to championship contention, and his comments suggest he was able to avoid a serious injury Friday.

The Golden State Warriors bounced back from a 118-99 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in what was potentially an NBA Finals preview on Thursday with a 138-96 win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday at the United Center. They improved to 31-11 with the win, while the Bulls dropped to 27-13. 

Friday's win was the team's first since a 96-82 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 9. Before falling to the Bucks, the Warriors were upset by the Memphis Grizzlies 116-108 on Tuesday. 

It was an impressive win for the Dubs, who have been in a shooting slump as of late. In addition, the team was without two of its best players in Klay Thompson (rest) and Draymond Green (calf) in addition to James Wiseman, who has yet to make his season debut due to injury. 

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Notable Stats

Stephen Curry, PG, GSW: 19 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL

DeMar DeRozan, SF, CHI: 17 PTS, 2 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL

Andrew Wiggins, SF, GSW: 21 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST

Nikola Vucevic, C, CHI: 19 PTS, 14 REB, 5 AST, 3 BLK

Jordan Poole, SG, GSW: 22 PTS, 1 REB, 5 AST

Lonzo Ball, PG, CHI: 15 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST

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Warriors Return to Form with Complete Performance

Golden State was not going to lose three games in a row, especially after being embarrassed by the Bucks on Thursday night, and the team tallied the most points it has all season in Friday's game against Chicago. 

The Dubs put together their most complete performance in more than a week, snapping out of a slump that saw them hit the lowest of lows against Milwaukee as they shot just 33-of-95 (34.7 percent) from the field and 16-of-48 (33.3 percent) from deep.

The Warriors shot 56.4 percent from the floor against Chicago and 43.9 percent from deep, which is much closer to their season averages of 46.5 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from beyond the arc. 

SPLASH 💦

📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/XUCPevsvKY

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 15, 2022

Wasted no time

📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/szjgWVKWzu

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 15, 2022

rook's doin' it all

📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/EYlbXSlTZy

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 15, 2022

RT this, you know why. #StephenCurry || #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/CHP1VtCMfB

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 15, 2022

Most points scored in any half this season

78 from the dubs 👀 pic.twitter.com/7uTnh8DH8q

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 15, 2022

NO LOOK 3️⃣0️⃣

📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/Qa5JprcO4w

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 15, 2022

Curry specifically broke out of his cold shooting spell, putting together one of his better shooting performances of the last week. In addition, the Warriors got much-needed scoring from Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole in the starting lineup.

Golden State's bench, specifically Jonathan Kuminga, was also impressive in the victory. Kuminga finished with 25 points, three rebounds and three assists. 

Before Thursday's game against Milwaukee, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr addressed the team's scoring issues, saying his squad needed to simplify things and get more people open for easy buckets.

While they didn't do that against the Bucks, they certainly did on Friday night. 

The scoring effectiveness from up and down the lineup highlighted one of the team's most complete performances since Green was ruled out with a calf injury. Green's absence has been glaring, especially on the defensive side, but the Warriors proved on Friday night that they could win without him if they hit their shots and protect the rim. 

Golden State allowed more than 100 points in each of their last two games. The team limited Chicago to just 96 points on Friday in one of its better defensive games of late. 

Moving forward, Golden State's focus on spreading the floor and protecting the rim. While Green is expected to return soon, there's no telling when or if he might go down again, and the Dubs will need to be better prepared for that situation. 

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LaVine's Injury Compounds Second Straight Loss

LaVine exited Friday's game early in the first quarter after sustaining a left knee injury and did not return. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that "there's initial confidence" the superstar avoided a serious injury, but he will undergo an MRI on Saturday to confirm the severity of the injury. 

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine will get an MRI on his left knee Saturday, but there's initial confidence that he hasn't suffered a serious injury, sources tell ESPN. It was described as "discomfort" and erring on side of caution with MRI tomorrow.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 15, 2022

LaVine will undergo an MRI on Saturday, per source. The Bulls play in Boston. The initial plan is that it's unlikely LaVine begins the two-game trip with the team, per source. https://t.co/SLDpF4R78g

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 15, 2022

Zach LaVine’s MRI may get pushed to tonight, but he left the United Center walking fine and is expressing confidence to others the injury isn’t serious, per source. LaVine quietly had been playing through some minor knee swelling, the source said. Tonight’s discomfort added to it

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 15, 2022

LaVine appeared to suffer the injury after grabbing an offensive rebound with just under nine minutes remaining in the first quarter. On the next play, he intentionally fouled Curry before taking himself out of the game. 

LaVine is one of Chicago's best players, and the team completely fell apart without him. The Bulls kept things tight in the first quarter until the 26-year-old exited, and they ended up going into halftime down 78-47.

Bulls allowed 37 1st-quarter points and Steph Curry only scored 2.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 15, 2022

Warriors 78, Bulls 47

Ball 15 pts
DeRozan 14 pts
Vucevic 10 pts
LaVine left knee injury; out for game

Wiggins 20 points

Bulls booed off floor

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 15, 2022

LaVine's absence demonstrates just how important he is to the team. The UCLA product entered Friday's game ranked second on the Bulls averaging 25.6 points per game, behind none other than DeRozan. He also ranked third on the team averaging 4.3 assists. 

LaVine, who is in his fifth season with the Bulls, has combined with DeRozan, who is in his first season in Chicago, to form one of the best one-two punches in the NBA. The duo entered Friday's game as the only teammates in the league to both be averaging more than 25 points per game. 

DeRozan was averaging 26 points entering Friday's contest, in addition to 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists. 

Furthering highlighting LaVine's importance is the face he is on pace to earn his second straight All-Star selection. He jumped up to third in voting for guards in the Eastern Conference in the latest round of voting, joining DeRozan, who is first. 

Stephen Curry (West guards), Kevin Durant (East frontcourt), DeMar DeRozan (East guards) and LeBron James (West frontcourt) continue to be the top vote-getters at their respective position groups in the second fan returns of NBA All-Star Voting presented by Tissot. pic.twitter.com/dAaVBHrXi5

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 13, 2022

For comparison, LaVine finished the 2020-21 season averaging 27.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 50.7 percent from the floor and 41.9 percent from deep. 

If LaVine is unavailable for an extended period, the Bulls could drop in the standings if they play as poorly as they did against the Warriors. The Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets are in hot pursuit, tied with a 26-15 and just 1.5 games behind. 

Chicago's depth at the three will ultimately be tested in the coming days. Behind LaVine, the team has Javonte Green, Troy Brown Jr. and Alfonzo McKinnie. Green leads the trio with 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and one assist in 22.2 minutes per game. However, he is sidelined with a strained groin, meaning more pressure will be placed on Brown and McKinnie. 

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What's Next?

The Bulls travel to face the Boston Celtics on Saturday at TD Garden, while the Warriors will be on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. 

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has unveiled his list of the top five players in NBA history. 

Appearing on Throwing Bones with Chelsea Gray, Green had LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson on his all-time top five. 

MJ. LeBron. Kobe. Magic. Steph@Money23Green gives @CGray209 his Top 5 on #ThrowingBones. 👀

📺: https://t.co/pZsiUzxLgn pic.twitter.com/Mb9jdJLTtw

— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) January 14, 2022

Earlier this month, Green named his top-five defensive players of all-time. He included Gary Payton, Tony Allen, Ben Wallace, Dennis Rodman and himself on that list. 

Green did note he didn't include players from older eras of basketball, like Wilt Chamberlain, because he didn't see them play. 

The most controversial name on Green's list is probably Curry, but it's not hard to justify his inclusion on any list of greatest players in NBA history.

The two-time MVP has led the league in three-pointers made six times in the past nine seasons, and he's leading in that category again in 2021-22 (188, 32 more than anyone else). 

James, Jordan, Johnson and Bryant are among the most likely names who would be found on an all-time top-five list if everyone in the NBA was surveyed. 

There is also an obvious level of respect that Green has for James' game after all the head-to-head battles they have had over the years, including four straight matchups in the NBA Finals from 2015-18, that he would be included in this group. 

The Golden State Warriors have now dropped four of their last five games after falling 118-99 to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. Milwaukee never trailed en route to leading by as many as 39 points.

After the game, Warriors point guard Stephen Curry told reporters that "there's no panic" despite the team's struggles.

"We obviously have stuff to work on, but it's not like a situation where we don't know what to do or how to get it done," Curry said, per Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle.

"... We just got off to a terrible start where everything went wrong on both ends of the floor."

Milwaukee took an early 18-4 lead en route to advantages of 37-21 after the first quarter and 77-38 at halftime.

The Warriors have largely been short-handed throughout their recent skid, to the point where they've had different starting lineups each of their past five games.

Draymond Green (hip, calf) has missed all but seven seconds in the last four games, as he made a cameo appearance when Klay Thompson returned to the court following missing two-and-a-half years due to injury.

Thompson has been limited to 20 minutes per game since returning for the Warriors' 96-82 win last Sunday over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Curry sat for the Warriors' 101-96 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans (quad).

Simply put, the Warriors haven't benefitted from having all their key players on the court of late.

Plus, the Warriors are still 30-11 at their midway point of the season, and they're on pace for 60 wins. They have the second-best record in the league, only behind the Phoenix Suns.

On the flip side, the Warriors' offensive performance during the 1-4 stretch is concerning, with the team posting just 96.2 points per game, over 13 fewer than what it has averaged this season.

The bottom has also fallen out on the defensive end, with the Warriors giving up 116 points versus the Memphis Grizzlies before allowing 118 against the Bucks. 

There is a bit of a reprieve coming up after the Warriors finish their current road trip against the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves, as Golden State has a seven-game homestand lined up through Jan. 29. No team has been better at home this year than the Warriors, who are 18-3 in Chase Center.

For now, the Warriors have to visit the Eastern Conference-leading Bulls on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The second round of voting for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game looks a lot like the first round. 

Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the way. Curry is still the top vote-getter with 4,463,426 votes. 

Stephen Curry (West guards), Kevin Durant (East frontcourt), DeMar DeRozan (East guards) and LeBron James (West frontcourt) continue to be the top vote-getters at their respective position groups in the second fan returns of NBA All-Star Voting presented by Tissot. pic.twitter.com/dAaVBHrXi5

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 13, 2022

Curry, James and Durant are the only players with more than 4 million votes after two rounds. 

The Golden State Warriors superstar also has the largest lead at his position among all players. Ja Morant is the No. 2 guard in the Western Conference with just over 1.6 million votes. 

Curry's status as the front-runner for MVP has taken a hit because of a recent cold streak. The seven-time All-Star is only shooting 32.9 percent from behind the arc in 13 games since Dec. 11, but he's still averaging 25.7 points per game during that span for the second-best team in the NBA. 

Durant remains an unstoppable force for the Nets. He leads the league in scoring average (29.7 points per game) and is shooting 50.9 percent from the field in eight games since clearing health and safety protocols. 

The race for the top spot in the Eastern Conference frontcourt is a two-man showdown between Durant and Antetokounmpo. The Brooklyn Nets star holds an edge of nearly 280,000 votes. 

Antetokounmpo trails only Durant and James in scoring average (28.4 points per game) this season. The reigning NBA Finals MVP also ranks sixth in rebounding (11.4) and is averaging a career-high 6.0 assists per game. 

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is also making a move up the leaderboard thanks to his recent hot streak. He has gained 1.1 million votes in the past week since the first round of voting was released. 

Even though the Sixers' seven-game winning streak was snapped by the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Embiid has scored at least 30 points in eight straight games. The four-time All-Star is averaging 32.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 11 starts since Dec. 16. 

As great as Embiid has been recently, the hottest player in the NBA right now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. James has put up 34.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and is shooting 37.8 percent from three-point range in his past 12 starts. 

The Lakers have been a disappointment overall with a 21-21 record, but there is no denying that James is still capable of taking over a game like few players in the NBA. 

Fan voting for the All-Star Game will continue through Jan. 22. Starters will be revealed on Jan. 27, with reserves set to be announced on Feb. 3. 

The 2022 NBA All-Star Game will be played on Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. 

The Golden State Warriors have lost three of their last four games after dropping a 116-108 road matchup to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.

Afterward, Warriors guard Stephen Curry noted that now was not the time to panic and overreact despite the team's slump.

"I don’t want to overreact to these last four games," Curry told reporters.

"... We’re right where we want to be. We just understand that, in the margins of basketball at this level, it's a good reminder of how hard it is."

The Warriors' skid began with a 99-82 road loss to the Dallas Mavericks that saw Curry shoot just 5-of-24 from the field.

Golden State hit just 5-of-28 from three-point range on a night where the Mavs honored franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki with a postgame jersey retirement ceremony.

The Warriors then played without Curry and Draymond Green in a 101-96 road loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Golden State then welcomed back five-time All-Star Klay Thompson after he missed two-and-a-half years because of injury for a 96-82 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Warriors simply ran into a buzzsaw Tuesday, as NBA MVP candidate Ja Morant and the Grizzlies won their 10th straight game to move to 29-14 on the year. Green was also out for that one (left calf tightness).

Golden State doesn't have to panic much, with the team at 30-10 and sitting second in the Western Conference. Only the 31-9 Phoenix Suns have a better record in the NBA.

The Warriors also have the luxury of Thompson back in the starting lineup, and he'll certainly help the team in the second half of the season.

The schedule isn't going to let up this week, though, with road games against the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks and Eastern Conference-leading Chicago Bulls looming on Thursday and Friday.