Grizzlies end Warriors’ 16-game winning streak

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — To defeat the run-and-gun Golden State Warriors, the grind-it-out Memphis Grizzlies beat them at their own game — at least during a 20-0 run by their reserves at the start of the second quarter.

“We came off the bench hot, pushing the pace,” back-up point guard Beno Udrih said after the Grizzlies had stopped Golden State’s winning streak at 16 games with a 105-98 victory Tuesday night at FedExForum. “We gave them a taste of their own medicine.”

Not that the stars didn’t do their part, too. Center Marc Gasol scored 24 points, and power forward Zach Randolph added 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Grizzlies (20-4) held on for their fifth consecutive win.

Golden State (21-3) got 22 points from guard Klay Thompson and 19 points from guard Stephen Curry. However, only half of the so-called Splash Brothers was hitting from long range, as Thompson went 4-for-5 and Curry 1-for-10.

“It seemed like they were very hyped by the game,” Curry said. “The fans were into it. It was fun.”

But not as much fun as it might have been as the Grizzlies held Golden to 41.1 percent shooting from the floor (39 for 95) and 29 percent (9 for 31) from behind the arc.

“We gave a little bit different look between Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince to Klay Thompson,” Memphis coach Dave Joerger said. “One is a guy who plays in your spaces and bodies you up (Allen), the other (Prince) uses his length. With Curry, a lot of that was the bigs communicating and being active and trying to show him different looks in pick-and-rolls.”

The Warriors were only down 90-88 when Prince hiked the Grizzlies’ lead to 93-88 on a corner 3-pointer with 4:39 remaining. After a driving layup from Memphis point guard Mike Conley (17 points) made it 95-88 with 3:05 left, both Golden State coach Steve Kerr and guard Andre Iguodala were hit with technical fouls for arguing that Conley traveled. Guard Courtney Lee made both free throws for a 97-88 lead.

Golden State forward Marreese Speights (18 points off the bench) sliced the lead to 101-98 with 25.3 seconds left. But Gasol pushed the margin back to five with two free throws and the Grizzlies closed things out.

The Grizzlies’ reserves outscored Golden State’s 40-39. Guard Vince Carter led the Grizzlies’ second unit with 16 points. Forward Jon Leuer had 11 points, and Udrih finished with six points and eight assists.

Golden State led 30-24 after one quarter, but the Grizzlies’ reserves wiped out that lead with a 24-4 run to take the largest lead of the first half, 48-34, with 5:03 left in the second quarter. Carter provided 11 of the 24 points, nine coming on 3-pointers. Back-up center Kosta Koufos had five rebounds, two steals and a block during the run.

“The pair of Kosta and Jon Leuer changed the rhythm for us defensively,” Gasol said.

Kerr believed the Warriors at times fell into playing “wild,” something he said they can get away with a lot of nights but not this night.

“You can’t be wild against a great team on their home floor,” Kerr said.

The Grizzlies showed the ability to run with the Warriors — at least for a stretch — while remaining true to their own game. But the reverse was true as well as each team scored 50 points in the paint.

But it was the bench’s 20-0 run to start the second quarter that had Conley excited.

“Night and day difference from the past few years,” he said of the bench play. “They pretty much won the game for us.”

And they ended the Warriors’ franchise-record 16 game-winning streak.

“I hated for the streak to end, but we can’t expect to win 60 games in a row,” said Warriors forward Draymond Green (10 rebounds and five blocks). “We’ve just got to start a new one.”

NOTES: Golden State C Andrew Bogut sat out his fourth straight game Tuesday because of right knee tendinitis. Bogut is averaging a team-high 9.0 rebounds and also 7.1 points and 2.2 blocks (fourth in the NBA). “They’ll play small more,” Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger predicted pregame, adding with a laugh, “Like they’ll have a problem with that.” … Tuesday’s game featured the NBA’s fifth-leading scorer in Warriors G Stephen Curry (23.7 points) and sixth-leading rebounder in Memphis PF Zach Randolph (11.0). … While Curry and teammate Klay Thompson had combined for 134 made 3-pointers before Tuesday, Grizzlies guards Courtney Lee (55 percent on 33 of 60) and Mike Conley (44.9 percent on 35 of 78) were first and 10th in the NBA, respectively, in accuracy. “Conley just seems to get better every year,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “His 3-point shooting … he’s always been a great penetrator, he uses both hands and is a ball-hawk defensively.”