The Golden State Warriors earned the Western Conference’s 7-seed after a 121-116 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center on Tuesday night.
The Warriors will face the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, will be forced into a winner-take-all contest against either the Dallas Mavericks or Sacramento Kings for the 8-seed on Friday. The Kings host the Mavericks on Wednesday night (10 p.m. ET on ESPN).
As expected, Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry led the way for the Warriors, scoring 38 and 36 points, respectively. Since trading for Butler from the Miami Heat, the Warriors have gone 24-8. The Steve Kerr-Draymond Green-Curry Warriors are seeking their fifth NBA championship since 2015.
The Grizzlies, meanwhile, now have lost 10 of their last 15, and are on the brink of having their postseason hopes dashed after what seemed like a sure playoff seed not too long ago. Had Memphis gone an even .500 in its final 14 games it would’ve avoided the play-in tournament altogether. The Grizzlies also must go into Friday’s must-win game wondering about the health of Ja Morant, who injured his ankle in the third quarter but returned to the game.
USA TODAY Sports provided updates and highlights from the NBA Play-In Tournament game:
Final score: Warriors 121, Grizzlies 116
The Warriors held on late to advance to the NBA playoffs with a 121-116 win over the Grizzlies, who are forced to win on Friday or be eliminated from the postseason.
Jimmy Butler led the Warriors in scoring with 38 points, while Steph Curry had 36 points. Gary Payton II and Quinten Post added 12 and 11 points, respectively, off the bench for Golden State.
Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies in scoring with 30 points, followed by Ja Morant (22), Jaren Jackson Jr. (18), and Santi Aldama and Zach Edney each with 14 points apiece.
The game was close at the end, but a five-second violation doomed the Grizzlies’ chances of victory.
End of Q3: Warriors 94, Grizzlies 91
The Grizzlies came out of halftime and made things uncomfortable for the Warriors.
Golden State had enjoyed a 12-point halftime lead, but Memphis enjoyed a 36-27 scoring advantage in the third quarter. The only issue, however, for the Grizzlies is the health of Ja Morant, who landed awkwardly on his right ankle and left the game.
Jimmy Butler is pacing all scorers with 34 points, while Steph Curry has 22. Gary Payton II is also in double digits with 10.
For Memphis, Desmond Bane is the team’s top scorer with 22 points, while Morant (18), Jaren Jackson Jr. (15) and Santi Aldama (12) are all in double digits.
Ja Morant leaves game after ankle injury
Ja Morant hit a 9-foot step back jumpshot midway through the third quarter, but landed awkwardly on his right ankle and had to be examined by team trainers.
He went to the bench, received further examination, but returned for his free-throw attempt since he was fouled on the play. Morant made the shot, but was immediately substituted out of the game.
Morant returned to the game in the fourth quarter.
Halftime: Warriors 67, Grizzlies 55
The Warriors go into their locker room at the friendly confines of Chase Center with a healthy lead on the visiting Grizzlies, eyeing a first-round playoff matchup against the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets.
Jimmy Butler has a team-leading 21 points for the Warriors, with Steph Curry (15 points) also in double digits.
Three Grizzlies went into intermission with double-digit point totals: Ja Morant (15), Desmond Bane (11) and Santi Aldama (10).
End of Q1: Warriors 31, Grizzlies 25
It was a game of runs in the first quarter. The Grizzlies jumped to 11-2 lead over the Warriors to open the game, but then Golden State started cooking and went on a 20-2 run to take a double-digit lead. The Grizzlies, however, flipped the script and went on a 7-0 run to close the first quarter to come within six points of the Warriors.
The Warriors are shooting 52.2% from the field and 5-of-14 from three. Jimmy Butler has a game-high 10 points and is 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, despite coming into Tuesday’s matchup less than 100% after bumping knees with Clippers’ Kawai Leonard on Sunday. Curry is off to a slow start with four points, shooting 2-of-5 from the field and 0-of-3 from three.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are shooting 38.1% from the field and 4-of-9 from three. Jaren Jackson Jr. has a team-high eight points, following by seven points from Ja Morant. The Grizzlies had seven first quarter turnovers.
Steph Curry Play-In Tournament stats
Here’s Curry’s stats in Tuesday’s play-in game vs. Memphis:
Points: 36
Rebounds: 8
Assists: 4
Field goal shooting: 9-of-22
Three-point shooting: 6-of-13
How does the Play-In Tournament work?
The tournament involves the teams ranked seventh through 10th in each conference to determine the seventh and eighth seeds, the final two playoff teams in each conference bracket.
Any stats recorded during play-in games do not count toward a player or team’s regular season or postseason records. In the simplest terms, the Play-In Tournament is considered a separate event in between the regular season and playoffs. — Lorenzo Reyes
Elsewhere: Magic slow Hawks, but flaws could doom Celtics series
The first domino in the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament fell, and the Orlando Magic are through to the postseason.
The Magic topped the Hawks on Tuesday night, 120-95, to clinch their spot as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, setting up a showdown in the first round of the playoffs against the No. 2 Boston Celtics ‒ the reigning champions. — Lorenzo Reyes
Steph Curry stats
In his 16th season with the Warriors, Curry is averaging 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, 44.8% from the field, 39.7% from free and a league-high 93.3% from the free throw line. Curry, the NBA’s all-time leader in made three-pointers, has averaged a league-high 4.4 threes per game on 11.2 attempts.
How to watch Grizzlies vs. Warriors play-in game:
- Time: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
- Location: Chase Center in San Francisco, California
- TV: TNT
- Stream: Sling TV, YouTube TV
Watch the NBA play-in tournament with Sling TV
