The Golden State Warriors took the long road to the NBA playoffs, but thanks to big performances from their veteran stars, they’re officially in. After a tough loss to the Los Angeles Clippers to close the regular season, Golden State rebounded in the play-in tournament with a 121-116 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.
In a back-and-forth battle at Chase Center, the Warriors leaned heavily on the superstar duo of Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler to edge past a tough Grizzlies team, led by Ja Morant (22 points) and Desmond Bane (30 points).
Butler, acquired at the trade deadline, delivered his best performance in a Warriors uniform, dropping 38 points along with seven rebounds and six assists.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry stands in front of Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant.
© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Curry was equally electric, finishing with 37 points, eight rebounds, and four assists—including back-to-back threes to extend the Warriors\’ lead late in the fourth quarter.
Together, the pair made history, becoming the first duo to each score 35+ points in a play-in tournament game.
Butle
Butler joined the Warriors in February to form a formidable duo with Curry and his impact on the team has been undeniable. The Warriors are now 23-7 in games where Butler has suited up, and will hope their new-found form with the six-time All-Star translates to playoff success as they face the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in the first round.
Golden State hasn’t reached the Conference Finals since their 2022 title run, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023 and missing the postseason entirely last year. With Curry and Butler clicking, the Warriors are hoping this postseason marks a return to form.
