Nearly a week after letting Pau Gasol have his perfect game, Andris Biedrins nearly had one of his own. Sadly, Biedrins 28 points on 13-15 shooting and 21 rebounds, 7 of them offensive, was not enough to hold off the Grizzlies balanced attack of interior and perimeter shooting. The Warriors fall to 7-9.
After struggling last season with injuries, Biedrins got his swagger back for one night as he consistently found soft spots in the Grizzlies defense, scoring layups off laser sharp passes from teammates and baby hooks off either hands.
But Biedrins alone couldn't stop the Grizzlies from scoring from the perimeter as OJ Mayo, 21 points, and rookie Greivis Vasquez, 10 points, both provided a spark off the bench. Coupled with their interior play by Zach Randolph, 14 points, and Rudy Gay, 25 points, the Grizzlies offense proved too much in the end.
Warriors guards Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry also got out of their funk, combining for 49 points and 12 assists. Struggling from deep this season, Curry made 4 of 5 3-point shots.
While the Grizzlies offense carried them most of the game, the second half surge was largely a defensive effort as their 11 blocks sent away a variety of seemingly easy drives. Marc Gasol had 3 blocks and Darrell Arthur had 4 alone.
But beyond blocks, the perimeter defense frustrated Dorell Wright all game, who shot a dismal 2-11 from the perimeter and miss the game-tying 3-pointer with 6 seconds left in the game. With a suspect handle already, Wright struggled to maneuver around the Grizzlies defense, coughing up the ball on a few occasions by recklessly pushing the ball upcourt into a triple team or getting picked just directing the offense. Although Wright struggled from perimeter, he still chipped in 6 boards and 8 assists.
The Warriors are now 1-8 without David Lee. But reports show that he is ready to return though he most likely will not play in tomorrow game versus the resurgent Minnesota Timberwolves.