The easy answer is to be encouraged by the fact that, a least for 24 minutes, they Warriors got finally got back to their “brand of basketball.” But it’s even easier to be discouraged by the other 24 minutes, which were bad enough to prevent the Warriors from winning.

STEPHEN CURRY: “This is a frustrating feeling for us, knowing that we’ve lost three in a row. But there is positive we can take from this game, knowing we got back to our brand of basketball for the last 24 minutes. We have to remember that.”

The Warriors (30-20) held the Grizzlies to 36 points on 38.2 percent shooting in the second half. They forced 10 turnovers and limited inside-dominant Memphis to 18 points in the paint and four offensive rebounds after halftime.

It was the best basketball they played all road trip. However, the hole they dug in the first half was too large.

The Warriors gave up 63 first half points to the Grizzlies, on 52.3 percent shooting. No, Memphis is not a good offense. They came into the game towards the bottom in scoring and field goal percentage.

Over the last three games, the Warriors have given up an average of 69 points on 54.7 percent shooting in the first half.

DRAYMOND GREEN: “Giving up 63 points in the first half is unacceptable. I don’t care who you’re playing. … When you gift a good team a 12-point lead, it’s hard to come back from. We’ve got to stop giving up 60 points in the first half.”

More on Friday’s defeat …

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As it turns out, Warriors point guard Stephen Curry will be in Houston for All-Star Weekend after all.
Curry, widely regarded as an All-Star snub, has agreed to participate in the 3-point shootout during All-Star Saturday. The competitors were announced Thursday on TNT. He will compete against New Orleans’ Ryan Anderson, San Antonio’s Matt Bonner, Indiana’s Paul George, Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving and New York’s Steve Novak.
Curry is second in the league in 3-point percentage (44.9) and 3-pointers made (147). This will be his second appearance in the event.
In 2010, he finished runner up to Boston’s Paul Pierce.
“I’ve got to avenge my rookie year shortcoming,” Curry said.
Curry, who has missed four games this season due to two right ankle sprains, said he will not take part in the Skills Challenge, a timed obstacle course of passing and dribbling also held on Saturday. Curry won the event in 2011.
But all hope is not lost that Curry will be in the main event on Sunday.  He is a likely selection to be an injury replacement, and three All-Star selections — Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan and Chris Paul — are currently nursing injuries. Being in Houston already certainly helps his case should someone bow out.

Warriors will be without two key players tonight against the Thunder.

Center Andrew Bogut will sit Wednesday’s game out as scheduled. But back-up point guard Jarrett Jack is also out of the lineup with a bruised right shoulder and right hip.

Jack fell hard midway through the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s loss at Houston. He went up to contest a fast break layup by Rockets guard Jeremy Lin and landed hard on his right side.

He popped up but moments later asked Jackson to take him out. Jack could barely lift his right arm and said he was in so much pain he couldn’t sleep.

His status for Friday’s game at Memphis is up in the air, too. Jack hasn’t had his hip and shoulder examined as the Warriors didn’t arrive to Oklahoma City until 4:30 am because of weather issues. He will probably be thoroughly examined on the offday in Memphis on Thursday.

Without Jack backing up Curry, that could mean more minutes for second-year guard Charles Jenkins.

Center Andris Biedrins will start against the Thunder in place of Bogut, who will not play back-to-back sets until after the All-Star break.

The Warriors 140-109 loss at Houston on Tuesday will be remembered largely for this quote.

MARK JACKSON: “I’m an old school basketball player and an old school coach. If you can’t appreciate that, that’s on you. We’re not going to lay down. If you’re going to try to get the record, we’re going to stop it.”

Only problem is, the Warriors were all but helpless to stop the first 23, which tied the record for most 3-pointers in the game.

Golden State had its four-game win streak snapped in embarrassing fashion. But at least they didn’t give up an NBA record for most 3-pointers in a game. The Warriors certainly did everything they could to prevent the Rockets from draining that 24th 3-pointer. They recklessly contested all threes. They committed hard fouls on anyone who dared hoist from deep.

In the final minute, with the game way out of reach, they twice committed intentional fouls, prompting boos form the remaining fans at the Toyota Center. But the damage was already done. The Warriors were drubbed.

Rockets coach Kevin McHale:  “We just had to keep playing. I really didn’t even know we had a chance to break the record until late in the game. We shoot a lot of 3′s, that’s just what we do. If we were to get them in the flow, we were going to get them. Mark didn’t want it to happen and fouled and I didn’t have any problem with how they played. Mark’s got to coach his team, I have no problem with that.”

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Warriors coach Mark Jackson said center Andrew Bogut will play tonight at the Rockets.
Bogut will make his fourth appearance since returning from left ankle rehab. As part of his recovery, he will not play games on back-to-back nights. Since the Warriors visit Houston on Monday and Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Jackson had to choose which game his starting center would play.
“At the end of the day, we’re playing good teams,” Jackson said. “We want to put him in position to be able to play, to be able to recover, and and then continue to progress.”
Jackson will have another choice later in the week as the Warriors visit Memphis on Friday and Dallas on Saturday. Jackson said the likelihood is Bogut will play at the Grizzlies.
Why play Bogut at Houston and Memphis? Those are wins the Warriors need the most.
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