It felt like the playoffs had already begun. The Warriors vs Memphis game from Tuesday night was about as intense of a regular season game as you are going to get. The Warriors and Grizzlies are both fighting for playoff positioning in the Western Conference, where it seems like every win or loss can change your seeding. Stephen Curry’s 52-point performance will grab most of the headlines, but it was the overall performance of Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler that needs to be highlighted. The Warriors’ Big Three showed in their win over the Grizzlies that the Warriors’ championship years may not be over.
New Big 3 Shows Warriors Are Championship Contenders
Warriors vs Memphis Game Gives Us Playoff Preview
The Warriors-Memphis game on Tuesday was exactly the type of late-season basketball that NBA fans signed up for. Two teams, who don’t like each other very much, were battling from the tip with their playoff destinies further on the line.
The Warriors won the game over the Grizzlies, 134-125. This was widely due to Curry’s incredible 52 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and five steals. Despite that incredible performance, the Grizzlies kept things tight throughout the game. Ja Morant’s star was shining with 36 points on a surprising 5-of-8 from deep. It still wasn’t enough to stop the locked-in Warriors.
Warriors Big 3 Shows Up Against Grizzlies
This felt like a must-win game for the Warriors. With the win, they create even more separation between themselves and the Play-In Tournament, all while overtaking the Grizzlies for the fifth seed.
When the Warriors need to win a game, you can expect Curry to show up. This time however, he showed up with some reinforcements. Green was solid on both ends of the floor notching a triple-double with 13 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds. He had two steals and a block as well. Butler also had a huge game, scoring 27 points on an insanely efficient 7-of-11 from the field. Butler also chipped in on the defensive side of things with three steals of his own.
The Warriors Big Three’s defensive contributions showed just how seriously they took this game. Curry, Butler, and Green combining for 10 steals shows the type of defense this team will need to win an NBA championship.
Warriors Championship Chances
According to ESPN Bet, the Warriors Championship odds are +1800, making them the sixth-most likely team to win it all. Games like Tuesday could have some bettors thinking that could have some solid value. The Warriors still have Curry, making them a perennial contender. With Butler in the mix, and Green playing once again at a Defensive Player of the Year level, the Warriors need to be considered extremely dangerous.
The Warriors will find out a lot about just how good they are over the next few games. They will face three of the four teams above them in the Western Conference standings in the Lakers, Nuggets, and Rockets. If the Warriors Big Three can put on performances like they did in the Warriors vs Memphis game, and the Warriors can grab at least two wins over those Western rivals, they need to be further considered serious championship contenders.
Photo credit: © Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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