With approximately two minutes left in the first half of the latest battle with their heated rivals, the Golden State Warriors were down by nine points after being down by as much as 20. First-quarter troubles on defense plagued them anew; it marked the seventh consecutive game they gifted a double-digit lead to their opponents.
But they showed signs of life in the second quarter. They started displaying somewhat of a more concerted effort to create stops. Holes started getting smaller and smaller, while their offense backed up their defense.
With Ja Morant sidelined for an indefinite amount of time, the Memphis Grizzlies’ supersub Tyus Jones was tasked with lead guard responsibilities.