For the first time since November 22nd, the Golden State Warriors have a winning streak. Despite Steph Curry’s absence, the Dubs got revenge on the Memphis Grizzlies, the team that defeated them in embarrassing fashion a few weeks ago.

The Warriors couldn’t get revenge with a loss of their own, but they seemed to be in control for most of the game against a Grizzlies team that was once again playing without Ja Morant, winning 121-113.

After allowing a three-pointer from Memphis in the opening seconds, the Warriors made three-pointers on their first three possessions, with two from Dennis Schröder adding one from Draymond Green. That led to a very early timeout by Taylor Jenkins, but it didn’t change the dynamic: On Memphis’ ensuing inbounds, a superb defensive possession by Green forced an eight-second violation that led to a Buddy Hield three-pointer that capped a 12- 0 run.

But then Memphis found out. Golden State’s offense was both cold and sloppy, and the Grizzlies scored eight straight points, forcing a timeout by Steve Kerr. Green made another three-pointer after that timeout, continuing a hilarious trend for the Dubs: They only made three-pointers. In the first 10 minutes of the game, all of Golden State’s points came from beyond the arc. Even when Moses Moody ended that series with 1:54 left, there were free throws, which he earned when he was fouled while shooting a three-pointer. It took just over a minute before the end of the first quarter for the Dubs to score a field goal on a Jonathan Kuminga drive that wasn’t worth three points.

But while the quarter was partly defined by the triples, it was also defined by an endless amount of sales. The Warriors forced eight goals in the quarter and committed seven of their own. And after Jake LaRavia made a double-clutch halfcourt three-pointer to beat the buzzer, Golden State’s lead was just 30-29.

They got off to a good start early in the second quarter, this time with Lindy Waters III going on an 8-0 run on his own (with excellent plays from Green and Kuminga), which led to another quick Memphis timeout. The Warriors decided to counter Memphis’ size by going small rather than equal, using a small-ball lineup against a frontcourt of Zach Edey and Jaren Jackson Jr., and it worked well as it started a 10-0 run -Run gave. The defense, led by the sheer brilliance of Green, made life difficult for the Grizzlies, but at some point both teams got a little out of control. A sloppy exchange ensued, and with three minutes left, the Grizzlies erased the deficit and took the lead for the first time since the opening seconds.

Most worryingly, Kuminga twisted his ankle towards the end of the half. At that point, he led all Warriors with 13 points and shot a perfect 3-for-3 from distance, but was eliminated for the remainder of the game. The Warriors took a 58-54 lead into the locker room, but Kuminga’s injury loomed large for a team that had already missed Curry’s offensive contributions.

But Andrew Wiggins ensured that neither player neglected the offense too much. After scoring just two points in a quiet first half, Wiggins started the third quarter brilliantly. He scored the team’s first seven points in the frame and dominated from start to finish. The Warriors couldn’t keep up – although they briefly pushed the lead into double digits – but behind Wiggins’ brilliant 18 points in the third quarter, they were always in control and took a 92-86 lead in the final frame.

Then it slowed down. Green fouled Edey early, and there was a long delay in the review, which eventually turned into a Flagrant 1. Shortly later, Green was assessed as having a very weak technical foul because he appeared to have heated up the audience after making a three-pointer and shortly afterwards that Schröder was judged to be an equally weak technician. Of course, the game got pretty tricky, but the Warriors didn’t give up. In fact, they did the opposite, they just became more aggressive and confident.

Waters filled in brilliantly for Curry and Wiggins, with shot after shot in the final minutes. The game was still hanging in the balance until with just over a minute left, Green stole the ball back from Memphis after losing the ball himself and passed it to Wiggins, who flew past the defense and performed a rattling dunk that made the ball 10-point lead and secured the victory. From there it was all window dressing until the final buzzer sounded, giving the Dubs a 121-113 victory.

Like the first quarter, the game was all about making threes and playing defense. Six different Warriors players took at least three shots from distance and shot a stunning 23-for-43 as a team. They forced 22 Memphis turnovers and turned them into 28 points.

Wiggins led the way with 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting and also had a whopping four steals. Schröder (17), Waters (16), Hield (14), Kuminga (13) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (11) also scored in double figures.

With the win, the Warriors improve to 18-16. They host the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night at 5:30 p.m. PT, with Curry expected to return.