Warriors Top Grizzlies By 10

March 10, 1999 / 1:58 AM EST / AP

Erick Dampier put aside his contract concerns and focused on playing. The results were impressive.

Dampier matched his career-high with 18 rebounds and scored a season-high 17 points as the Golden State Warriors won their sixth straight home game by defeating the Vancouver Grizzlies 92-82 Tuesday night.

"I know I haven't played like I know I can play," said Dampier, who returned from the lockout out of shape and hasn't played with the consistency he showed last year when he averaged 11.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

"My outlook now is to just leave it all out on the floor and continue to work, improve myself and improve the players around me," Dampier said.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the Warriors have until Saturday to sign Dampier to a contract extension or he can become a free agent. Before the game, general manager Garry St. Jean said he and Dampier's agent have agreed to table contract talks until the end of this season. Dampier has been seeking a six-year extension worth $70.9 million, the highest allowed for his class.

Whether for the Warriors or another team, Dampier's contract will take care of itself if he keeps playing like he did Tuesday night.

"That's what we need out of him every night," Golden State coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "We've talked to him about that. We are going to go as far as he's going to carry us."

Donyell Marshall led Golden with 20 points, Bimbo Coles had 17 and John Starks had 13 for the Warriors, who withstood Shareef Abdur-Rahim's 35-point performance for the Grizzlies, losers of nine straight.

Dampier also matched a career-high with 18 rebounds and Tony Delk had a season-high 11 assists for the Warriors.

Both teams were hit by injuries or illness during the game.

Muggsy Bogues, activated from the injured list earlier Tuesday, collided with Parks and fell to the floor holding his right knee. He limped off the court with assistance from team trainers with 8:02 remaining and did not return. The Warriors said afterward that X-rays were negative and Bogues had a contusion.

The Grizzlies played the second half without Bryant Reeves and Tony Massemburg. Reeves went out with the stomach flu after scoring five points in 13 minutes and Massenburg sprained his left wrist just before halftime.

"We lost our center and our backup center and that hurt," Abdur-Rahim said. "But I don't think it afffected us to where we got down. We just have to keep working hard, keep playing hard. That's really all you can do."

Added Vancouver coach Brian Hill: "Playing short-handed we did everything we could do. We just made some mistakes defensively. Bimbo Coles hurt us in the fourth quarter they made some big shots. But considering the circumstances, it was a very good performance."

Trailing by two at the break, the Warriors began working the ball inside to Marshall and Dapier, who opened the third period with a one-handed jam. Marshall, starting in place of injured power forward Jason Caffey, had a stretch of four straight dunks, two off feeds from Delk as part of a 14-6 burst that put Golden State up 59-56.

Abduhr-Rahim made one of two free throws and converted a three-point play, but the Warriors scored eight of the next 11 points to take a 67-63 lead into the fourth period.

The Grizzlies pulled to 72-71 on a 3-pointer by Abdur-Rahim, only to see Coles score eight straight points for the Warriors capped by a fast-break layup off a steal for an 80-73 Golden State lead with 6:08 left.

A 3-pointer by Abdur-Rahim and a jumper by Parks narrowed the deficit to 80-77, but the Warriors outscored the Grizzlies 12-5 down the stretch.

Notes: Abduhr-Rahim has reached double figures in scoring in each of the last 54 games, a Grizzlies club record. ... The point total by Coles was his season high. ... Players union chief Billy Hunter, a native of Oakland, attended Tuesday night's game. ... Bogues, who missed nine games while recovering from a bout of chicken pox, was activated from the injured list prior to the game. Golden State then placed Duane Ferrell on the injured list with tendenitis in his left knee. Meanwhile, Caffey rested a sore right Achilles' tendon and missed the game.

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