Playoff Jimmy — or, should we say Play-in Jimmy — is back.
Jimmy Butler III scored 38 points, got to the free-throw line 18 times, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists — and the Warriors needed all of that on a night their offense was sluggish much of the game. Then in the clutch, Golden State got a couple of key Stephen Curry 3-pointers and hung on to beat the Grizzlies 104-101.
That win officially advances the Warriors as the No. 7 seed in the West, and they will travel to Houston to face the Rockets in the first round, starting Sunday (a series that will be very evenly matched). Memphis will head home and prepare for Friday, when it will face the winner of Wednesday’s Dallas/Sacramento game in a fight for the No. 8 seed.
This was the kind of game that is a reminder of why the Warriors will be such a tough out. That starts with Playoff Jimmy, who just takes some of the offensive pressure off Curry.
“I know I want to win a championship so he needs, his what, this would be No. 5?” Butler said, via the Associated Press.
From the opening tip, Butler went right at the Grizzlies’ anchor, 7’4” Zach Edey. When Edey played off him early, Butler drained a couple of 3-pointers right over him. That brought Edey out, and Butler started going downhill, getting past him, into the paint, and drawing fouls.
Beyond Butler, other Warriors stepped up, including Gary Payton II and Quinten Post off the bench. And, as always, in the clutch there was Curry doing Curry things.
After a fast 11-2 start to the game by the Grizzlies, the Warriors settled down and did a good job keeping Memphis out of the paint. The Warriors’ defense held the Grizzlies to 38.7% shooting for a quarter and a half, then used those misses and a bunch of turnovers to get buckets in transition, force cross-matches early in the clock, and essentially get whatever they wanted on offense. Which is why they led by 20.
Give the Grizzlies credit, they fought back and showed real grit — they took the lead in the fourth quarter and made it a one-point game inside of 10 seconds left. Desmond Bane led the way with 30 for Memphis including hitting five 3-pointers, Ja Morant scored 22 and returned to play the fourth quarter despite turning his ankle in the third quarter, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points. While picked on defensively, Edey finished with 14 points, 17 rebounds and was a +6 for the game.
When it got to the clutch, the Warriors simply executed better. Stephen Curry helps with that, but so does the player and organizational experience.
That experience is what makes the Warriors a threat against a young Rockets team.
“It took 83 games but we’re right where we want to be, which is back in the playoffs and we’ve got a chance,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
