Jonathan Kuminga had a game-high 25 points, Moses Moody scored 12 of his 20 points in decisive third-quarter spurt and the Golden State Warriors ran away from the visiting Memphis Grizzlies for a 131-118 victory Monday night.
Brandin Podziemski poured in 23 points. Jimmy Butler III scored 20 and Stephen Curry added 16 for the Warriors, who led just 70-68 in the third minute of the third period before pulling away.
Golden State scored 29 of the next 39 points, with Moody contributing three 3-pointers and three free throws after getting fouled on another long-range attempt.
Two free throws by Butler gave the Warriors a 99-78 lead from which the Grizzlies never recovered.
Led by Butler’s 6-for-8 shooting, Kuminga’s 9-for-14, Podziemski’s 8-for-14 and Moody’s 6-for-10, Golden State outshot the visitors 53.0% to 45.5% overall.
Improving to 2-0 at home, the Warriors were also on the mark from beyond the arc, hitting 19 of 43 (44.2%). Podziemski and Moody both hit 5-for-7 from long range, while Curry was 4-for-9.
Draymond Green was the only Golden State starter who didn’t score in double figures, but he did contribute a game-high 10 assists. Kuminga was the game’s leading rebounder with 10, completing a double-double.
Ja Morant had a team-high 23 points and nine assists for the Grizzlies, who have alternated wins and losses in their first four games.
Morant had 10 of his points in the first quarter when Memphis put up 37 points while taking a one-point lead. The visitors led by as many as six in the period.
However, the Grizzlies totaled only 24 points in each of the second and third periods, falling back by as many as 22 before game’s end.
Jaren Jackson Jr. collected 16 points to complement a team-high seven rebounds for Memphis, while Jock Landale had 17 points, Santi Aldama 14 to go with three steals, Cam Spencer 11 and Jaylen Wells 10.
–Field Level Media
