By Adam – April 15, 2025
SAN FRANCISCO —
After two grueling months of must-win basketball, after three previous failures in the NBA Play-In Tournament, and after one of the most chaotic Western Conference races in recent memory, the Golden State Warriors are finally moving on.
Led by the unshakable brilliance of Stephen Curry and a breakout performance from Jimmy Butler, the Warriors outlasted the Memphis Grizzlies 121–116 on Tuesday night at Chase Center to secure the seventh seed in the West. The victory sets up a first-round playoff showdown with the second-seeded Houston Rockets, beginning this weekend.
“We desperately needed to win this game and get four days off,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said postgame. “Our guys have basically been playing knockout games for about three weeks. One high-level game after another. I couldn’t be prouder.”
Vintage Curry, Vintage Butler
In what felt like a microcosm of their season, the Warriors once again leaned heavily on Curry’s magic — and the 36-year-old superstar delivered. He poured in 37 points, including six clutch three-pointers, with a level of control and poise that reminded everyone why he’s still one of the most feared players in the league.
But it was Jimmy Butler, the midseason acquisition once questioned for his fit in Golden State, who truly stole the show. The 34-year-old veteran turned in his best performance in a Warriors jersey, scoring 38 points with a mix of tough midrange jumpers, fearless drives, and key defensive plays down the stretch.
“I came here to win,” Butler said. “That’s always been my mentality. This team has that same fire, and now we get a chance to really show it.”
Memphis Puts Up a Fight
To their credit, the Grizzlies did not go quietly. Despite missing key contributors due to injuries, they pushed Golden State to the edge behind 29 points from Desmond Bane and 24 from Jaren Jackson Jr. But in the final minutes, their inexperience and fatigue showed, while the Warriors' championship DNA took over.
Golden State closed the game on a 10–3 run, with Curry and Butler scoring all 10 points.
Next Stop: Houston
The win officially ends the Warriors' three-year struggle in the Play-In. After frustrating exits in 2021 and 2023, this year's team flipped the script when it mattered most. Now, their reward is a meeting with one of the league’s rising juggernauts — the Houston Rockets, led by MVP candidate Jalen Green and young big man Alperen Şengün.
Golden State will enter the series as underdogs, but don’t tell them that.
“We’ve been here before,” Curry said with a grin. “We know what it takes.”
For a franchise that’s made five NBA Finals appearances since 2015, the moment isn’t too big. The path is just more complicated.
But with a healthy roster, a red-hot Jimmy Butler, and a rejuvenated Steph Curry, the Warriors may have found their stride at just the right time.