Tune-In Tidbits: Western Conference Play-In, ESPN Friday, May 21, 2021

Stephen Curry scored 46 points and made nine 3-pointers in Golden State’s win over Memphis in the regular season finale on May 16.

(9) Grizzlies at (8) Warriors

9 p.m. ET, ESPN

• The Warriors host a win-or-go-home game with the Grizzlies with the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference up for grabs. As John Schuhmann noted in his Play-In Tournament Numbers Preview, the Warriors had the league’s biggest home-road differential, both for winning percentage (25-11 at home, 14-22 on the road) and for point differential per 100 possessions (+5.1 at home, -3.0 on the road). A key to this success was the play of league-leading scorer Stephen Curry, who shot 3.4 percentage points higher from the field and 4.5 percentage points higher from three at Chase Center compared to road games.

• Curry missed the first two meetings with the Grizzlies, but scored 46 points with nine 3-pointers and nine assists in Golden State’s win on the final day of the regular season. Curry not only secured the league’s scoring title during that game, he boosted his scoring average to a career-best 32.0 ppg. Curry led all players this season with 11 40+ point games.

• Stephen Curry led the NBA in total 3-pointers made (337) for the sixth time in his career; the first time since leading for five straight seasons from 2012-13 to 2016-17. Curry’s 5.3 3-pointers made per game is the highest average in league history, topping his own mark of 5.1 from both 2018-19 and 2015-16. It would take the Grizzlies’ top three 3-pointer shooters combined (352) to match Curry’s 3-point production (337) this season.

• Throughout the regular season, the Warriors scored 38.4% of their points from 3-point range (4th highest in the league), while the Grizzlies only scored 29.5% from beyond the arc (26th in the league). However, the Grizzlies led the league in points in the paint and as a result scored 56.0% of their points from 2-point range (3rd in the league). Golden State ranks 26th in points from 2-pointers with just 47.0% of points coming within the arc.

• Jonas Valanciunas led the Grizzlies with 19.3 points, 15.7 rebounds and 65.6% shooting from the field in three games against the Warriors this season. Valanciunas, who tied for third in NBA with 49 double-doubles during the regular season, is coming off a 23-point, 23-rebound effort in Memphis’ win over San Antonio in the opening game of the Play-In Tournament. Between the regular season and play-in, Valanciunas has a league-leading four 20-20 games.