The Warriors had this one in hand, and then it slipped right through their fingers.
Golden State looked like it was cruising to a much-needed win before everything unraveled in the final minutes of a 111-108 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Dubs were up 12 with just under four minutes left in the fourth quarter, but they went cold at the worst possible moment, missing their last nine shots and letting Memphis rip off a 17-0 run. Rookie Cam Boozer finished the comeback with the go-ahead basket with 20 seconds remaining.
Afterward, Stephen Curry didn’t sugarcoat how it felt.
“There's losses and then there's ways that you lose like tonight that kind of sting a little bit more,” Curry said.
Curry finished with 24 points to lead Golden State, though he needed 15 shots to get there and made just five. Brandin Podziemski gave the Warriors 18 points in his return after sitting out the season opener against the Lakers, and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg turned in a strong double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
The bigger issue for Golden State is what this loss says about the roster around Curry right now. With Kristaps Porzingis out indefinitely and Jimmy Butler also unavailable, the Warriors are asking a lot from a team that has already opened 0-2. Lendeborg has done a respectable job so far, but the reality is that a rookie is carrying too much of the load, and that says plenty about where this group stands.
"There's losses and then there's ways that you lose like tonight that kind of sting a little bit more.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 24, 2026
Steph Curry after the Warriors loss against the Grizzlies 🗣️
(via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/i3KRgFFioq
Not every defeat will look like this one. But if the roster stays the same, the Warriors could be in for a long season of frustrating nights.
In Other News...
Warriors Center Search Suddenly Has A More Realistic Trade Path
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Orlandos position in the playoff race makes any deal harder to pull off, but the financial side of it is why this idea has more traction than many others the Warriors have explored. Golden State has had interest in Carter before, and he has also reminded teams of his value with a strong showing against the Hawks, which only adds to the sense that if the Magic ever decide to seriously engage, this could be one of the cleaner center paths available. [Read more 🡒]
Luka Drama Just Pulled The Grizzlies Into A Bigger NBA Debate
Yaxel Lendeborgs first NBA night came with more attention than the box score usually brings, and the Warriors rookie did not sound interested in backing away from it afterward. After Golden States debut against the Lakers, Lendeborg publicly went at Luka Doncic in his postgame press conference, calling him a complainer and saying he had lost respect for him. For a player just getting his footing in the league, it was the kind of candid comment that instantly travels beyond one locker room.
Inside the Warriors orbit, though, the reaction was hardly a distancing one. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green defended Lendeborgs remarks, even as the rookie acknowledged afterward that he might have gone too far. Still, he made clear he intends to keep being himself, which leaves the larger question hanging over a young player who already has veterans in his corner and a much bigger NBA conversation swirling around him than anyone expected on debut night. [Read more 🡒]
Draymond Green Is Reopening A Warriors Question Nobody Wanted Back
Draymond Greens return on a one-year deal was supposed to give the Warriors a familiar anchor as they tried to stabilize an uneven start, but early in the season he has instead reopened an uncomfortable conversation in Golden State. His recent game against the Memphis Grizzlies included mistakes at key moments, another reminder that the team is still waiting for the cleaner, more controlled version of Green Steve Kerr said he wanted to see this season.
For a franchise that knows exactly how central Green has been to its success, the idea of his play becoming a midseason issue is not what anyone had in mind. Still, the longer his struggles linger without the stylistic shift Kerr wanted, the more the Warriors will have to confront a question they likely hoped to avoid until much later, if at all. [Read more 🡒]