Short-handed Warriors rebound vs Grizzlies after tough loss to Pelicans

Al Horford alone was apparently an upgrade over Draymond Green and De’Anthony Melton.After a lineup change, the Warriors pulled a 180 from their performance the previous night to cruise to a 133-112 win over the Grizzlies in the second half of a road back-to-back.“Just a really good night for everybody who stepped on the floor, missing so many guys,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.Green (back) was listed as questionable and ruled out shortly before tipoff with the same issue that kept him out of Sunday’s win over the Nuggets.Melton (knee) has yet to be cleared to play on consecutive days.The 39-year-old Horford returned and led a rejuvenated effort from an undermanned Warriors squad, which had only nine players in uniform — including two-way player Malevy Leons — but had no problem dispatching a team that dismantled its roster at the NBA trade deadline.Eight of them — all but Leons — scored in double figures, led by 21 from rookie Will Richard.

Brandin Podziemski celebrated his 23rd birthday by stepping into the starting lineup and followed up his double-double effort Tuesday with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists.Playing against his younger brother, Pat Spencer was a game-best plus-23 while dishing out a team-high nine assists in 32 minutes off the bench.In some kind of law of brotherly inverse, Cam Spencer was a game-worst minus-29 for the Grizzlies.All nine Warriors also hit at least one 3-pointer as Golden State rebounded from a dismal shooting effort the previous night, knocking down 49 of 91 shots from the field (53.8%) — 19 of 46 (41.3%) from 3.It was nearly a teamwide 50-40-90 shooting performance — until Leons missed two free throws late in the fourth quarter, which also prevented him from becoming the ninth and final Warrior to reach double figures.After their 113-109 loss to the host Pelicans on Tuesday, the Warriors avoided the disaster of being swept on back-to-back nights by teams almost trying to lose.Richard responded ...