At the third time of asking, the Golden State Warriors finally secured a win over the Memphis Grizzlies after losing to them both home and away earlier in the campaign.
Klay Thompson had the hot hand for the Dubs as he went 8-15 from beyond the arc and poured in 36 points. However, it was the performance and the stat line of Draymond Green that was the main talking point after the game.
The All-Star power forward posted a triple-double in the win, but it was unconventional and the first of its kind as he only scored 4 points.With 12 rebounds, 10 assists and a franchise-record 10 steals, Green's triple-double was the first in NBA history with fewer than 10 points scored, according to Elias Sports Bureau. It was also only the second with at least 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in a game.
Draymond also became the first player to record 10 steals and five blocks in a game since the 1973-74 season, when those became official statistics.
Despite the terrific shooting night from Thompson, head coach Steve Kerr reserved special praise for his defensive stalwart.
"That says it all right there," Kerr said about Green's triple-double. "Draymond dominated that game. That's as dominant of a performance as I've ever seen from somebody who scored four points."
The 26-year-old is a frontrunner to win the Defensive Player of the Year award for the first time this season, an award he has made no secret of coveting.
He knows that with the likes of Thompson, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant on his team he isn't expected to score but is relied upon at the other end of the floor.
"I’ve got to bring it on the defensive end," Green told CSN after the game. "A lot of guys on this team can score. We don’t need me to score."
Next up for the men from Oakland is a trip to Oklahoma City as Durant returns to his former team for the first time in the most eagerly anticipated encounter of the year.
