SAN FRANCISCO – The seventh-seeded Warriors entered Tuesday night’s game at Chase Center looking to move past their wretched play-in past. Facing them was a familiar foe.
The Memphis Grizzlies, four years prior, had eliminated the Warriors from the 2021 play-in tournament. It was a loss that contributed to Golden State’s 0-3 record in the round in three trips.
To break through and outlast Memphis 121-116, Golden State followed the formula that fueled its second-half turnaround.
Jimmy Butler led the team in scoring with 38, and Steph Curry made two back-breaking late 3-pointers to help the Warriors survive a spirited last-second Memphis push.
“Playoff Jimmy” starred at the power forward spot in Golden State’s rollercoaster victory, one that saw star Ja Morant sustain an ankle injury late in the third quarter but re-enter the game as the Grizzlies gave Golden State everything it could handle.
Curry scored a crucial 37 points and the Warriors bench scored 30 to clinch a first-round playoff series with No. 2 seed Houston.
Game 1 will be in Texas on Sunday. Memphis will host the winner of tomorrow night’s Sacramento-Dallas matchup on Friday in a win-or-go-home game.
The Warriors may have won, but it was no walk in the Golden Gate Park.
After enjoying a lead as large as 20, the Grizzlies cut the deficit to just four late in the third.
The Grizzlies endured a major blow when Morant went down holding his ankle after making a floater and landing on Buddy Hield’s foot with 4:25 left in the third quarter. He made the free throw, and then left the game until early in the fourth period.
Memphis cut the deficit to just 94-91 entering the fourth quarter, and took a 96-94 lead a minute into the final period on a Desmond Bane 3-pointer.
The teams traded baskets, with the Warriors enjoying a 109-105 lead with five minutes remaining before Memphis cut it to just one with another Bane three.
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The teams continued to go back and forth down the stretch, but in the end, it was Curry’s Hall of Fame shotmaking that pushed Golden State’s lead to 117-111 with a minute to go.
The game was far from over, though, with Draymond Green fouling out, and late Warrior fouls cutting the lead to 117-116.
Curry hit a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining, and Memphis was called for a five-second violation on the ensuing possession.
Curry made two more free throws with 3.4 seconds remaining to ice the game.
Tiipoff time for the Warriors’ playoff opener Sunday against Houston is yet to be announced.
