SAN FRANCISCO — Jimmy Butler had 38 points, seven rebounds and six assists creating opportunities on both ends at every chance, Steph 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 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 on the clock.
Golden State advances to a best-of-seven first-round series with the Houston Rockets, beginning with Game 1 on Sunday night in 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 5-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 on Wednesday night in Sacramento to determine the eighth playoff spot.
With the Grizzlies on a roll midway through the third, Butler grabbed momentum right back 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 rolling 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 the three-point play to pull the Grizzlies within 82-81.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 18 points, while 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 he fouled out late.
Curry had lit up the Grizzlies for 52 points on their home floor 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-pointer 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 Clippers star Kawhi Leonard on Sunday.
The Warriors hoped to avoid this extra game, but lost to the Clippers in overtime in the regular-season finale on 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.
In the Eastern Conference game …
Magic 120, Hawks 95: Cole Anthony came off the bench with 26 points and six assists to lead host Orlando to victory in the first game of the Play-In Tournament.
Paolo Banchero had 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Magic, and Wendell Carter Jr. added 19 points and seven rebounds. Anthony Black scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting off the bench in the Magic’s first appearance in a play-in game.
Earning the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed after a 41-41 regular season, the Magic will start their first-round playoff series at Boston on Sunday. Orlando split its four games against the defending NBA champs this season, but the Celtics rested their top six players in a loss at Orlando last week.
“It’s a great opportunity to play against the best team in the league, and they’re the champs still until somebody beats ’em,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “What they present is a lot of challenges, and we have to try to find a way to figure that out.”
Trae Young led the Hawks with 28 points and six assists before getting two technical fouls and an automatic ejection with 4:47 left in the game.
“I thought we did a good job on Paolo and Franz (Wagner),” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said, “and they had some other players who really stepped up and made plays.”
The Hawks, who have reached the playoffs through the play-in route in two of the last three seasons, will play at home Friday night for the eighth spot against the winner of Wednesday night’s game in Chicago between the Bulls and the Miami Heat.
Banchero and Black produced most of the offense and the Hawks scored just two points in the final six minutes of the first quarter, and the Magic led by as many as 22 late in the first half.
The Hawks cut the gap to three and had a chance to tied the game when they turned it over with 2:36 left in the third quarter.
“They went on their own run and we weathered the storm. We didn’t let them back in the game from that point on,” Anthony said. “We got stops, we pushed the pace and we held a really good offensive team to 90 points.”
Anthony, who averaged 9.4 points in an injury-plagued season, shot 10 for 17 from the field (4 for 9 from 3-point range).
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