Warriors romp to big win over Grizzlies in opener

OAKLAND, California (The Sports Xchange) - Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 14 third-quarter points, matching Memphis' total for the period, as Golden State rolled a 101-86 win in their Western Conference semi-final opener on Sunday. Game Two in the best-of-seven playoff series is scheduled for Tuesday night in Oakland. Curry finished with 22 points and Thompson added 18 as the Warriors, the top seed in the West, recorded a 21st consecutive home win while remaining unbeaten in five games in the postseason. Center Marc Gasol had 21 points and power forward Zach Randolph 20 for Memphis. The Grizzlies, seeded fifth in the West but coming off a 4-1 series win over Portland, was playing without injured starting point guard Mike Conley. Golden State, which won the season series 2-1 over the Grizzlies, led by as many as 10 in the first quarter and 16 in the second en route to a 61-52 halftime advantage. The Warriors then tightened their defense in the third period, limiting the Grizzlies to six field goals en route to an 80-60 advantage Curry (four), power forward Draymond Green (four) and Thompson (two) combined for 10 three-pointers for the Warriors, who are now 41-2 at home this season. Green finished with 16 points, small forward Harrison Barnes chipped in with 11 and backup center Marreese Speights had 10 for Golden State, which had not played for a week since completing a 4-0 sweep of New Orleans in the first round. (Editing by Gene Cherry)