SAN FRANCISCO – The numbers that could determine the Warriors’ direction could be simple: one, two, three. And they have nothing to do with two- or three-point shots.

Jonathan Kuminga left Saturday night’s game with a right ankle sprain. If it’s a Grade 1 strain, he’ll be back on the field in no time. If it is 2nd grade, a return before the end of January could be questionable. In the worst-case scenario, a third-degree ankle sprain would jeopardize his season.

The Warriors won’t immediately know how serious Kuminga’s injury is, but the most encouraging sign is that he didn’t need help as he skipped from the field to the dugout after twisting his ankle.

The Warriors wanted to use the next few weeks to see what their current group – and reduced rotation – would look like after a tumultuous start to the season. They started 12-3 but fell to .500 in late December.

If Kuminga is sidelined for much of January due to his ankle sprain, it will be much more difficult to assess the squad.

The evaluation period continued Saturday, with the Warriors avenging their 51-point loss to Memphis with a 121-113 victory at Chase Center. Golden State made 23 of 43 3-point shots – six players made at least three – and forced 23 turnovers.

Dennis Schroder (17 points, nine assists) had his best game as a Warrior and Andrew Wiggins scored 18 of his 24 points in a key stretch of the third quarter. Golden State made 14 more three-pointers than Memphis, overcoming a massive rebound deficit (43 to 29).

Neither Steph Curry nor Ja Morant were successful, but both teams played with passion. The play included three technical fouls and one flagrant. The Warriors are now 5-2 in games without Curry this season.

The Warriors made their first four 3-pointers and went 8 of 14 from behind the arc. Their first two-pointer came almost 11 minutes into the game on a left-handed shot from Jonathan Kuminga.

Despite hot shooting and an early 12-2 lead, the Warriors never gained a real lead.

Pat Spencer — who played because Steph Curry and Brandin Podziemski were unavailable — guarded his brother Cam and hit a one-legged teardrop with one second left in the quarter. But Jake LaRavia rattled home a buzzer-beater from half the court to close out a frame 30-29.

Lindy Waters III then scored eight unanswered points. The Warriors held the Grizzlies scoreless in the first three minutes of the second quarter by blocking passes and cutting off lanes. The Warriors extended their lead to 11, but Memphis responded with an 18-6 run to take the lead.

With 2:27 left in the half, Kuminga limped to the locker room. He had just hit his third 3-pointer of the night and tried to avoid a shot in the paint but ended up in a crowded sea of ​​legs.

The last two weeks have been the best phase of Kuminga’s career. He averaged 24.3 points and eight rebounds in his last six games since Saturday night. He played well both with and without the ball and at both ends of the pitch, leading head coach Steve Kerr to repeatedly describe the spell as a “breakthrough”.

Kuminga was ruled out for the remainder of the game at halftime and finished with 13 points and four turnovers.