Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors squared off at CHASE Center for another edition of their new rivalry.Ja Morant and the young Grizzlies have aimed at the Dubs multiple timesand are slowly turning into the league’s new villains.
Notably, Steve Kerr’s team had a chip on its shoulder and didn’t want to cave in to the youngins. However, they struggled mightily in the first half, getting into foul trouble and with the referees barely allowing any contact or trash-talking.
That was even more blatant toward the end of the game. Stephen Curry got mad at Jordan Poole for chugging a three-pointer instead of passing the ball, so he threw his mouthpiece away out of frustration, which led to his ejection.
NBA News: Stephen Curry Explains Why He Threw His Mouthpiece Away
The referees didn’t hesitate to send Curry to the locker room early, but the Dubs still managed to win the game with a buzzer-beating layup by Poole. So, after this emotional matchup, Steph explained why he did what he did:
“Crucial time in the game and the way that our season has gone, there’s questions about the heightened sense of urgency of every detail matters,” Curry told the media. “When you want something really bad like just getting the win, and in the fourth quarter, execution, clutch situation, all that stuff does matter, so I reacted in a way that obviously put myself out of the game and put the team in a tough place.”
“But the intentions and the energy around what matters in the sense of winning, that’s what it’s about,” Curry added. “Thankfully, my teammates responded extremely well. Klay (Thompson) with a big shot. JP with the game-winner at the end. Execution was great. We needed that one, so there was a sense of urgency for sure. Kind of let my emotions get in the way of it.”
Truth be told, the referees were mostly bad throughout the whole game, and there’s just no way you can eject the best player on the floor with one minute left in a close game just because of that.
Moreover, Curry has been visually upset and emotional as of late. He’s called out his teammates and wants the Dubs to be more consistent, so that’s a story to follow as we approach the trade deadline.
