Curry was stripped right off the bat, a start that undoubtedly dumped a bucket of cold water over the fired-up Warriors fans in the stands.
Through this point in the playoffs, Curry's 3.9 turnovers per game ranked third in the league, behind only Harden's 4.5 and James's 4.1.
But considering that Curry was a point guard who made a high volume of passes, his turnover total was understandable.
Most of Curry's turnovers were passing errors; it was rare for anyone to simply rip the ball right out of his hands.
But today, Tony Allen gave Curry a rude awakening from the opening possession. Once the Grizzlies got their mobility going, their help-defense rotations were terrifyingly quick. Any thought of breaking through easily was nothing but a pipe dream.
Link's windmill slam quieted Oracle Arena down somewhat. But the fire burning inside the Warriors players would not be extinguished so easily. They quickly organized a second possession, eager to tie the score.
The Warriors' offense was still running smoothly, their fluid passing and movement a pleasure to watch.
But Steve Kerr on the sideline certainly was not enjoying his team's offense right now, because he could tell that it only "looked" like it was flowing smoothly.
No matter how the Warriors cut and moved the ball, they could not tear open the Grizzlies' defense.
Switches, help defense, one-on-one containment... The Grizzlies had been flawless in every aspect of their defense today. At every moment, a defender stood in front of every Warriors player.
Link, Butler, and Tony Allen in particular made the Grizzlies' defense as solid as a fortress.
"Looks like the Grizzlies' small-ball lineup is just as perfect," Kerr said helplessly to his assistant coach, Luke Walton, shaking his head.
Like the Warriors, the Grizzlies had a perfectly equipped small