SAN FRANCISCO — Jimmy Butler III had 38 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, Stephen Curry scored 37, and the Golden State Warriors earned the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 on Tuesday night in the play-in tournament.
“Playoff Jimmy,” in all his brilliance on the big stage, created opportunities on both ends and took serious pressure off Curry, who knocked down a baseline 3-pointer with 1:50 to go and one from the left wing with a minute left.
Golden State is now headed for a best-of-seven first-round series with the Houston Rockets beginning with Game 1 on Sunday at Houston.
After a pair of free throws by Curry with 5.4 seconds left, the Grizzlies had one last chance — but Santi Aldama couldn’t inbound the ball before a five-second violation.
Desmond Bane scored 30 points and Ja Morant 22 for Memphis, which will head home to host the winner of the Dallas Mavericks–Sacramento Kings matchup Wednesday night in Sacramento to determine the eighth playoff seed.
With the Grizzlies on a roll midway through the third quarter, Butler grabbed back momentum with a steal and dunk. He shot 12-for-20 in a second straight 30-point performance and his highest-scoring game since joining the Warriors at the trade deadline. He converted 12 of 18 free throws — having been 63-of-68 from the line over the previous eight games in April.
Morant went down hard and rolled his right ankle when he stepped on Buddy Hield‘s foot and was fouled by Quinten Post with 4:25 remaining in the third but got up and converted a three-point play to pull the Grizzlies to within 82-81.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 18 points, and Zach Edey contributed 14 points, 17 rebounds and converted two free throws with 14.3 seconds left.
Curry had eight rebounds, four assists and shot 9-for-22 while regularly swarmed by Scotty Pippen Jr. before Pippen fouled out late.
Curry had lit up the Grizzlies for 52 points on their home court in a 134-125 win on April 1, and the Grizzlies made him a top priority this time — so Butler took charge.
He led four straight scoring possessions to put the Warriors up 31-18 late in the first quarter — assisting on Gary Payton II‘s cutting dunk, dishing to Post for a 3 and making a 3-point shot and three-point play himself. Butler showed no signs of being affected by a tender left quadriceps muscle after he took a knee from the Clippers‘ Kawhi Leonard on Sunday.
The Warriors hoped to avoid this extra game but lost in overtime to the Clippers in the regular-season finale Sunday for their third home defeat over the final week.
Curry, Draymond Green and the Warriors had been 0-3 in play-in games during appearances in 2021 and last year. The Grizzlies eliminated them at Chase Center with a 117-112 overtime victory in ’21.
