Poole beats buzzer with layup, lifts Warriors past Grizzlies

SAN FRANCISCO(AP) — Stephen Curry threw his mouthpiece into the seats infrustration and got tossed himself for the surprising episode latein the game.

And theGolden State Warriors still pulled off a wild one against thenemesis Memphis Grizzlies.

Jordan Poolemade the winning layup with a second remaining to cap a crazy,back-and-forth final minute, and the Warriors fought back to beatJa Morant and Memphis 122-120 on Wednesday night.

“Incredible,heady play by Jordan,” Klay Thompson said.

Curryoutdueled Morant and scored 34 points before being ejected with1:14 remaining in another thrilling game between the rivals whoplayed last year in the Western Conference semifinals won by theWarriors in six games.

Curry hit atying jumper with 2:18 left and made three free throws at the 1:55mark. He wasn’t around for the finish after firing the mouthpieceinto the stands. Crew chief Sean Wright confirmed the reasoning toa pool reporter: “Stephen Curry takes his mouth piece and throwsinto the stands with force, as per rule, that is an automaticejection.”

“He knows hecan’t make that mistake,” coach Steve Kerr said. “To win the gameafter the Steph ejection was great. I liked the execution down thestretch.”

Afterward,Curry was in the hallway eager to greet Poole with a celebratoryhug. Poole had launched a 30-footer with nearly a full shot clockand Curry open, and Curry didn’t like it.

Curry saidthe way the season has gone there’s a “heightened sense of urgencyof how every detail matters.”

“The way thatwe responded after that shows just how much it matters to us,”Curry said.

BrandonClarke had a tying dunk with 6.3 seconds left for Memphis on a passfrom Morant after Thompson’s 3-pointer with 14.6 remaining put theWarriors ahead. Thompson then missed a rushed baseline jumper withfive seconds to play, but Golden State got the ball out ofbounds.

Morant woundup with 29 points and 12 assists after missing a game with an ankleinjury. He converted a pair of free throws with 26.6 seconds leftto put Memphis ahead before Thompson’s big 3.

Desmond Baneadded 20 points for the Grizzlies in a balanced effort to helplessen the sting of losing durable big man Steven Adams for theforeseeable future with a knee injury.

Morant, whomissed a loss Monday night at Sacramento with soreness in his leftankle, found Clarke for an alley-oop layup and three-point playwith 4:10 remaining then Curry and Poole scored consecutivelayups.

Thompsonadded 24 points and his 3 with 3:38 left in the third pulled theWarriors to 81-79. Then Curry converted a tying four-point playwith 2:27 to go in the period after falling into the courtsideseats.

The Warriorshad lost four straight home games after beginning the season 17-2at Chase Center.

JonathanKuminga moved into the Golden State starting lineup with AndrewWiggins ill. Late in the first half, Kuminga drove through the lanefor a highlight-reel left-handed slam then knocked down a 3-pointera few possessions later. He wound up with 13 points.

Poolefinished with 21 points and seven assists as the Warriors beat theGrizzlies again following a 123-109 win on Christmas Day. TheGrizzlies have lost a season-high four straight to begin thisseason-long five-game West Coast trip.

“It’s a longseason. I don’t think too many people are too flustered,” Banesaid.

DraymondGreen — who called that final out-of-bounds play for Poole’s winner— was whistled for his 14th technical foul of the season, movinghim within two of an automatic one-game suspension.

MISSING ADAMS

Grizzliescoach Taylor Jenkins will mix and match lineups and substitutionpatterns without Adams, who is expected to miss three to five weekswith a sprained ligament in his right knee that he injured Sundayin Phoenix.

“We’redefinitely going to miss Stevo, he does so much for us, all thelittle things, to impact winning,” Jenkins said. “We’re just goingto need other guys to raise their level in those departments.Obviously, we’re struggling right now on both ends of the floor, wejust got to find our groove, it’s next-man up mentality.”

TIP-INS

Grizzlies: FDanny Green is set to make his season debut Feb. 1 at home againstPortland as he returns from left knee surgery. “That’s the plan asof now,” Jenkins said. Green will get some scrimmaging and workwith the G League Memphis Hustle this week. ... Jaren Jackson Jr.fouled out with 2:33 to go. ... Memphis will host the defendingchampions for the last two meetings: March 9 and 18.

Warriors:Kerr found out Wednesday morning Wiggins was sick and Kumingaearned his sixth start. ... Curry reached 21,000 career points. Hecommitted two fouls just 59 seconds into the game.