Reserve guard Jordan Poole had 31 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to propel Golden State against Memphis 117-116 in an NBA playoff opener on Sunday despite Draymond Green being ejected.
Klay Thompson sank the decisive pointer with 36.6 seconds left and the Warriors denied Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant twice in the final seconds.
“A big win for us to start the series, get home-court advantage,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. “And get greedy in the second game. »
The Western Conference second-round best-of-seven game continues Tuesday in Memphis.
In Sunday’s Eastern Conference opener, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple-double with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists as the defending champion Bucks won 101-89 in Boston.
At Memphis, Curry added 24 points for Golden State while Andrew Wiggins had 17 and Thompson 15.
Morant had 34 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds and Jaren Jackson had 33 points and 10 rebounds for Memphis.
The Warriors suffered a major setback when forward Green, a star defender in Golden State’s title runs in 2015, 2017 and 2018, was ejected in the second quarter for a flagrant 2 foul, hitting Brandon Clarke in the face and the pulling down by the jersey.
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“It’s a huge game to win, especially with his early exit,” Poole said. “We were able to replace the energy he has. »
The Warriors responded with a solid start in the third quarter.
“We were determined,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We knew it was a tough break that didn’t go our way. We were shocked by the decision. We started a race in the third quarter to take the lead. It established that we weren’t going anywhere. »
Poole scored a playoff career high in 38 minutes off the bench, hitting 12 of 20 from the floor and 5 of 10 from 3-point range.
“It’s a hoop, ultimate confidence in himself,” Curry said. “You cannot teach this preparation at the moment. Either you have it or you don’t and he does. »
Poole led the Warriors with 14 points in the first half and added 10 in the third quarter as Golden State took a 91-90 lead.
“At the core, we have championship DNA and we want to use it,” Curry said. “At this stage, that’s what it’s all about. »
Poole scored seven points in a 12-3 run to open the fourth and give the Warriors a 103-93 lead before the Grizzlies fought back.
Thompson missed two late free throws and Memphis had one last shot but Morant missed a drive-in layup at the buzzer.
“He had a great look. It just didn’t happen,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “I love how our guys competed. It just wasn’t good enough. »
Aggressive Giannis
In Boston, Antetokounmpo scored or assisted on 55 of Milwaukee’s 87 points scored while on the field against the NBA’s top defensemen.
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“I just like to be aggressive,” Antetokounmpo said. “I want to be aggressive. My teammates want me to be aggressive. I try to get into the paint for my teammates and for myself. »
Antetokounmpo made three turnovers in the first five minutes as Boston used multiple defenders to shield the Greek giant.
But from there, Antetokounmpo was able to lift the Bucks despite Milwaukee playing without forward Khris Middleton due to a left knee ligament sprain.
Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday scored a game-high 25 points with 10 rebounds while Bobby Portis added 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Bucks kept it intense and physical.
The Celtics shot a dismal 28 of 84 from the floor (33.3%) and made just 10 baskets from inside the 3-point arc while attempting a team-high 50 in the playoffs 3 point shots.
“It’s good to get rid of that dud,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka said.
Udoka was unhappy with the Bucks scoring 27 on 18 Celtics turnovers and said Boston’s inability to score inside was “alarming.”
“We settled for more difficult 3-point shots,” he said. “For the most part, I don’t think our decision-making was great. »
Boston’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart suffered a right shoulder injury and thigh bruising in the second quarter.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 21 points.
