MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Draymond Green’s triple-double was like no other in NBA history.
Green scored only four points but finished with 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals as the Golden State Warriors beat Memphis 122-107 on Friday night for their first win over the Grizzlies in three tries this season.
With his unique all-around performance on both ends of the floor, Green became the first player in league history to have a triple-double with fewer than 10 points.
Klay Thompson had 36 points and Kevin Durant added 24, but it was Green’s performance that drew accolades from Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
“That says it all right there,” Kerr said about the triple-double. “Draymond dominated that game. That’s as dominant of a performance as I’ve ever seen from somebody who scored four points.”
Andre Iguodala had 22, missing only one of seven shots, and Stephen Curry finished with 18 points. Green’s 10 steals and five blocks were part of a Warriors defense that forced 19 Memphis turnovers and 39 percent shooting.
“I knew Klay was knocking down the shots, so I knew the assists started to get up there,” Green said, “but I really didn’t know where I was as far as rebounds and steals.”
The Warriors (45-8) lost two previous games to Memphis this season, including when they blew a 24-point lead in the second half on Jan. 6. This time, they held a 26-point advantage in the fourth quarter and didn’t let the Grizzlies (33-23) back in it.
Mike Conley led Memphis with 20 points. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph had 17 apiece.
The Warriors’ defense worked hard to keep the Grizzlies from getting the ball inside. The strategy was particularly effective against Gasol, who shot only 4 of 14. Part of that was Green and other Golden State defenders preventing feeds into the post and poking the ball away after passes.
While Memphis struggled, the Warriors made 51 percent of their shots, including 15 of 33 from outside the arc for 45.5 percent.
“When they make shots, they put you in a bad spot,” Gasol said.
The Warriors carried a 62-49 advantage into halftime. Durant, limited to six points on 1-of-6 shooting in the first half, scored 12 in the third quarter to help the Warriors build the lead to 98-77 heading into the fourth.
At that point, folks were noticing Green’s uncommon stat line.
“To a certain extent, he does that every night for us,” Curry said. “But the numbers were pretty crazy with that kind of a triple-double.”
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