Grizzlies 116 vs 121 Warriors summary, stats, scores and highlights | NBA Play-In
He didn't do the night night celebration after this shot, and for good reason. The Grizzlies did give themselves a chance but Curry put the nail in the coffin with this three ball. The Grizzlies had a chance to tie it up, down 3 with 5 seconds to go, but were called for a five second call.
The Warriors are on to the first round of the playoffs where they will play the 2 seed Houston Rockets, and the Memphis Grizzlies will head back home looking for the 8 seed against the winner of the Kings vs. Mavs match up Wednesday night.
It was Butler carrying the load for most of the evening, but when it came time to close out the game and say good night, Curry stepped to the plate. He had Curry had 36, bummed thumb and all.
Bane tied up the game even with Morant on the bench, and all of the sudden the Warriors looked like they were in trouble. This became a scrap to the finish.
There was no stopping Butler on Tuesday night. He took over the game, and everyone knows this is his time of year. He hit a couple of big three balls early on, and that opened up driving lanes for the rest of the night.
Forget about the thumb. Curry might have been feeling the affects but no one in Chase Center could notice that he was playing through pain by the way he was shooting.
Ja Morant went down and stayed down after this play. He twisted his ankle and stayed out for a long period of time, but would return in the 4th quarter. The Grizzlies would chip into the lead and even take the lead with Morant on the bench.
The third quarter belonged to the Grizzlies. Desmond Bane had 30 points, and was the orchestrator of the come back that saw the Warriors lose their 20 point lead.
Ja Morant was his spectacular self in a huge game away from home. He was the heart and soul of the Grizzlies all season and he carried them for most of the first three quarters in Golden State. This alley oop off the backboard was part of a run that cut into the lead before halftime.
The Warriors built up a 20 point lead on this wild sequence from Curry. This 4 point play put the home side up by their largest margin of the night, but Memphis would fight back and make this a game until the end.
Curry had that thumb bandaged up, almost in a cast to protect it as much as he can. It didn't seem to be bothering him too much on deep shots like this. There was a point in which Curry did bang the thumb and was in visible pain, but in Curry fashion, he came to the rescue late in the game.
Butler went into take over mode knowing that Curry was dealing with that injured thumb. He's had two straight 30 point games in the Warriors biggest games of the season. He is just starting to heat up, and we know what he can do for Golden State in the playoffs.
The legend of Play-In Jimmy was born in the Bay on Tuesday night. We all know what he does in the playoffs, and he's done it in the playoffs too. Warriors fans will just be happy that they have Postseason Jimmy on their side for this title run.
Gary Payton Jr. had a solid game, scoring 7 points in the first quarter and played that X factor for the Warriors in the opening quarter.
Steph Curry came into the game with an injured thumb that had been affecting his shooting for the last few days, but got some easy looks down low thanks to some great passing from Draymond and company.
The Golden State Warriors are heading to the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs after beating the Memphis Grizzlies in a close game that went down to the final seconds. Jimmy Butler led the way in the win-and-in game, scoring 38 points to set a new high in a Warriors uniform.
It was the Grizzlies who got off to a hot start, jumping out to an 11-2 lead early on. Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. came out of the gates swinging, but they wouldn't keep the lead for very long.
IT'S ALL OVER!!!
The Golden State Warriors are heading to the first round of the NBA Playoffs, and they will take on the 2 seed, Houston Rockets.
Curry to the line with 3.4 to go, and he hits both FTs to put this game to rest.
Memphis gets called for a five second call, and that might be the end of the game!!!
Timeout Grizzlies with 5.4 to go.
Curry sent to the line by Pippen, his sixth, and Curry hits both FTs with 5.1 to go.
Timeout Golden State with 10.5 to go.
Curry missed the floater, and Edey was fouled by Looney and that sends the big man to the line where he hits both FTs. Another questionable call that goes against the Warriors.
Warriors timeout with 36.1 to go.
Pippen picks off the pass from Butler and he goes to the line after a foul on Podziemski, but looking at the replay there wasn't much in that foul. Looked like a clean block. Pippen makes one of two FTs.
Bane send to the line after the foul on Green, his sixth, and Bane hits both FTs with 58.1 to go.
Timeout Grizzlies with 59.1 to go!!
Curry with the pump fake to send his defender flying and he sticks the three ball that might have just ended this game!!!
Pipper Jr. missed the lay up but Edey was there for the tip slam.
Curry is the corner after the handoff from Green and he strokes it!
2:21 to go from San Fran.
Butler with the blocking foul, and that sends Edey to the line where he makes one of two FTs.
Butler with the baseline J out of the timeout!
Timeout Warriors with 4:10 to go in the 4th quarter!!!
Pippen Jr. missed the lay up but Bane got the ball in the corner and hits the three ball!
Payton saw a seam and put on the jets for the lay up down the lane.
Morant wiggles his way through the paint and hits the floater from the left side.
The challenge is unsuccessful but it's a foul on the floor so Edey doesn't get FTs.
6:13 to go in the 4th quarter.
Green called for the shooting foul on Edey, but GS is going to challenge. They think that foul was on Edey, if so that's his sixth.
Curry on the quick trigger and he drills the three from the wing! He hurt that thumb again a couple of plays ago, but it wasn't bothering him too much on that shot.
Morant looks inside for Aldama who turns and hits the hook shot.
Curry with a one handed push shot from the mid range and he banks it in!
Butler to the line after the foul on Pippen Jr. and he hits both FTs. He's got 36 points.
Bane kicks it out to Jackson Jr. and he drills the three ball to give the Grizzlies the lead!
Payton missed the three in the corner but Moody was there for the put back.
Morant pulls up from the elbow and he sinks it. He's got 20, but still limping on that inured ankle.
Green slips it off to Post who lays it up and in at the rack.
MORANT IS BACK IN THE GAME. LET'S SEE HOW EFFECTIVE HE CAN BE.
The call stands but it was called on the ground so Looney won't shoot FT.
Looney fouled by Edey, his fifth, and the Grizzlies are going to challenge the call with 9:26 to go in the 4th.
Looney follows his own miss and tips it up and in.
Konchar to the cup off the dish from Bane and he give the Grizzlies the lead!!!
Bane ties it from the top of the key! He's got 25 and the Grizzlies hav come back form a 20 point deficit!
WE ARE HEADING TO THE FOURTH QUARTER AND IT'S A THREE POINT GAME FROM SAN FRAN!!!
Butler on the leaner in the lane and he gets it to fall.
Long rebound from Memphis and Bane was left wide open from the corner and he drills the long ball!
Jackson pulls the trigger from downtown and he strokes it from the top of the key!
Butler to the line after the foul on Jackson Jr. and he hits both FTs and he's got 32, his Warriors high.
Butler to the line after the foul on Kennard and he hits one of two FTs.
Curry to the line after the foul on Pippen Jr. and he hits both FTs.
Konchar with the back door cut and Aldama hit him on the baseline for the lay up.
Curry to the line after the foul on Pippen and he hits both FTs.
Jackson missed the three ball but Konchar was there and he tips it in from down low.
Post with the long offensive rebound and he looks out to Curry who jacks the deep three ball from the logo.
They went and looked at the replay to see if there was anything else in that foul. Post was called for a shooting foul, but that will be it. FT is good after Morant comes back into the game, but he's going to be taken out fo the game as he walks with a noticeable limp.
Morant gets the baseline floater to fall, and he came down hard and twisted his ankle after landing on Post's foot. He stayed down for a while and goes right to the bench.
Pippen to the paint and he floats it up and in.
Butler found Payton wide open at the top of the key and he strings the three ball!
Aldama weaves into the lane and he lays it up and in.
Bane into the lane and he floats it up and in again.
Butler with the steal and he takes it all the way for the slam!
Timeout Grizzlies with 6:51 to go in the 3rd quarter!
Butler to the line and he hits one of two FTs.
Jackson down the left side of the lane and he lays it up and in off the crystal. 7-0 Grizzlies run.
Bane scoops it under Looney from the elbow and he gets it to go off the glass and the foul! FT is good.
Morant into the paint and he lays it up for Jackson Jr. who hammers it home.
Timeout Warriors with 8:35 to go in the third quarter.
Green off the screen from Curry and he takes it down the lane and lays it up and in.
Pipper Jr. takes it coast to coast and takes it into Green, gets the bucket and the foul! FT is good.
Jackson Jr. down low for Edey and he slams it home over the defense.
Curry picks off the pass from Edey and that leads to another transition bucket for Butler who slams it down.
Bane pulls the trigger with a hand in his face and he sticks it from downtown over Podziemski!
Green to the line after the foul on Edey and he hits both FT.s
Edey with the hook shot in the lane off the feed from Jackson Jr.
Butler with the cut down the lane and Green found him for the lay in off the glass.
WE ARE BACK IN PLAY FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION FROM SAN FRAN!
Ja Morant has had some magic moments so far, but he'll need a few more if te Grizzlies are going to have a chance in the second half. They are down 12 after 24 minutes and need to get some stops on Jimmy, Curry and the Warriors.
Watch how much Curry runs on this play. He ends the play in the near corner, hitting the three ball and getting the foul. That would put Golden State up 20 but the Grizzlies would claw back for the rest of the second quarter.
Butler has 21 to lead all scorers, Curry has 15 and Morant has 15 to lead Memphis.
Down by double digits, the last thing Memphis wanted to see was Curry get hot, but that's exactly what happened. He hit this one from Alcatraz, as Kevin Harlan put it on the air ways of TNT, and that ignited him.
Butler came out and hit a couple of early threes to make the defense have to guard him, but that just opened up all sort of space for him to get to the bucket.
Jimmy Butler was the driving force in the run for the Warriors in the first quarter. He had 10 points and it looks like Playoff Jimmy is a thing in the Bay.
Payton Jr. came out and was an early X factor with 7 quick points to help build the run for Golden State in the first quarter.
The Warriors can get hot in a hurry and that's exactly what they did in the first quarter when they took the lead after a slow start. They started to play a little more up tempo and that paid dividends for the rest of the half.
Curry has been battling a bummed thumb over the last few games, but there is no better way to get going than see the ball go in from close range.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant got off to a hot start in the Bay, taking an 11-2 lead early on but that wouldn't last too long against the Warriors who are Play-In vets.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST HALF AND THE WARRIORS LEAD BY 12 HEADING INTO THE BREAK!
Aldama drives from the corner and runs into Butler but still gets the tough bucket to go, with no whistle to follow.
Moody jacks the three with a hand in his face and he drills it from the wing!
Edey fouled by Post and he hits both FTs.
Curry to the line after the foul on Jackson Jr. and he hits both FTs.
Green couldn't get the reverse to go, but Butler was there for the tip in and he's got 21 already!
Butler fouled by Aldama and he hits one of two FTs.
Pippen floats it up and in and gets the foul on Butler! FT is good.
Butler slashing down the middle and Green lays it off for the Butler finger roll.
Aldama spins on Butler and lays it up and in.
Morant throws it off the back board and he rebounds it and puts it back up and in.
Curry to the line after the foul on Pipper Jr. and he hits both FTs.
Morant breaks off the long rebound and Pippen Jr. found him for the slam!
Morant finds Aldama in the corner and he sinks the three ball to give Memphis a 7-0 run!
Timeout Golden State witih 5:42 to go in the 2nd quarter!
Morant fouled by Payton on the drive and he hits both FTs.
Over the top from Pippen Jr. and Edey is there with the alley oop flush.
Curry in the corner on the quick trigger and he drills the three ball and gets fouled by Pippen! FT is good!
Warriors running the break and Curry finds Moody for the one handed tomahawk slam!!!
Timeout Grizzlies with 7:35 to go in the second quarter!
Curry from way downtown and he sinks his first three ball of the night!
Morant weaves through traffic and lays it up and in.
Offensive rebound from Santos, and it works it's way around the horn, back to Santos down low and he gets the lay up and the foul! FT is good after the foul on Bane, his third!
Bane taking it at Looney down low and he lays it up and in off the glass.
Edey to the line after the foul on Green and he hits one of two FTs.
Podziemski tries one from deep and he sinks it from the wing of the extra pass from Post!
Williams with the offensive board and kick out to Bane who strokes the three ball!
Butler drives on Edey, and he missed the lay up but got the tip in to fall.
Butler with the take to the cup, gets the bucket and the foul on Edey! FT is good from Jimmy Buckets.
Bane gets back into the paint and he floats another one up and in.
Butler found Post who stepped into a three ball and hit one from deep for the third time tonight!
Butler to the line after the foul on Bane and he hits one of two FTs.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER!!
Memphis went up 11-2 early on, but Golden State went on a 29-7 run to take a double digit lead. The Grizzlies battled back and ended the quarter on a 7-0 run.
Butler has 10 and Jackson has 8 to lead their respective teams.
Kennard with the pump fake and the three ball from the wing as the shot clock expires and the Grizzlies end the quarter on a 7-0 run.
Bane going back to the bucket and he lays it up and over Podziemski while absorbing the contact.
Bane gets into the paint and he floats it up and over Post.
Butler gets the inbound underneath, gets bumped and gets the bucket and the foul! FT is good after the foul on Jackson.
Butler with the penetrate and kick out to Post who nails the three from the wing!
Butler spots up from the top of the key and he drills the three ball!
Payton scaling the baseline and Butler found him for the reverse slam!
Payton strips Jackson and Curry looks up the court for Hield who lays it up and in on the break!
Timeout Warriors with 4:18 to go in the 1st quarter
Curry pulls up from the midrange and he sinks it off the find from Green.
Hield kicks it out and he finds Post for the three ball from the top of the key!
Payton saw a lane and he slashes through it for the lay up.
Aldama fouled by Green on the three ball and he hits all three FTs.
Payton was left wide open on the perimeter and he takes a dribble and sinks it!
Morant with the cross on Moody and he hangs it high off the glass with the floater!
Timeout Warriors after Morant scores another bucket. He's got 7 early points.
Back door cut on the baseline from Curry and Green found him for the lay up.
The defense dared Butler to shoot the three and e sinks it fro the top of the key!
Butler to the line after the foul on Edey and he hits one of two FTs.
Jackson Jr. steps into another three ball and he's got a couple of those already tonight!
Morant in the corner and he sinks it off the dish from Pipper Jr.
Podziemski running the break and he dumps it off to Moody for the slam on the 2 on 1 break!
Jackson was left open from the perimeter and he drills the three ball from the wing!
Morant pulls up from the elbow and he sinks the opening shot of the night.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM THE CHASE CENTER!!!
Memphis starting five
The Grizzlies are going big to start the game in this win and in game from San Fran. It's Ja Morant, joined by Bane, Pipen Jr. and Jackson Jr. and Edey down low for the visitors who will be trying to upset the Warriors on their home court.
Warriors starters
Steve Kerr switches up his five from the last game the Warriors played. Last game they went with Kevon Looney in the first five but tonight he goes with Moses Moody who will be joined by Curry, Podziemski, Butler and Green.
Play-In structure
It’s year five of the Play-In games, and by now this should be second nature. Just in case it isn’t here is a little explanation of all you need to know about what teams need to get into the playoffs. Our Calum Roche has you covered.
Morant's over the top cellys
For as good as Ja Morant has been over the last couple months, he has been a bit of a naughty boy. The game guy that was arrested for going on social media and brandishing a gun not once but twice. After getting handed a lengthy suspension a few years ago for his social media antic, he started to incorporate a new celebration where he mimics shooting a gun. He did it once, and got warned by the NBA. He did it again and got fined $75,000. Then in the loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last week, he was seen pulling a pin of an imaginary grenade and throwing it into the crowd at Target Center. Morant said it wasn’t a grenade, it was him “taking my word, and I’m throwing them out there.”
Playoff picture
While all the focus for the next few days will be on the Play-In, the playoff picture will be a little more complete after tonight. The Cavs and Thunder are the top teams it the East and West and won’t know who they will be playing until Friday night. The Rockets and the Celtics are the two seeds in each conference and they will know who they match up with after tonight. The Lakers will play the T’Wolves, the Clippers have the Denver Nuggets to round out the West while the Knicks have the Pistons and the Pacers and Bucks will meet in the opening round in the East.
Grizzlies misery
Memphis looks like a completely different team than they did at the beginning of the season. They were competing with the top teams in the Western Conference at the start of February, but have gone just 12-17 since then. The most troubling part of that might be their struggles against teams that are over .500. Memphis has won just 16 of 42 games against teams with winning records, and tonight they take on a Warriors team that was 48-34 in the regular season. They are going to have to turn that around at some point if they are going to make a run in the post season, and what better time to do so than tonight in San Fran?
An untimely firing?
With just two weeks left in the regular season, the Memphis Grizzlies front office made a drastic move as they geared up for the playoffs. They fired the winningest coach in franchise history, Taylor Jenkins, after six seasons. The Grizz were spiraling at the end of the season, and it cost Jenkins his job. Since Tuomas Iisalo took over on the sidelines the Grizzlies are just 4-5. Four of those losses came to teams already in the playoffs, and the other loss came to the Warriors in Memphis.
7 better than 6?
While making the playoffs without having to complicate life in the Play-In sounds like the better plan, the Warriors might have just lucked out losing to the Clippers on Sunday afternoon. Had the Warriors won that game, they would have landed the six seed, and set up a first round match up with the LeBron, Luka and the LA Lakers. If they win today, they would meet the second seeded Houston Rockets in the first round. They are the higher seed and have had the better season, but you might say that meeting a young Houston team that doesn’t have much playoff experience might be an easy path than seeing LeBron and Luka in the first round of the playoffs.
Star watch: Warriors
For as much as Jimmy Butler has made a difference, this is still Steph Curry’ team. He has been ignited since the Butler trade and is looking like the Steph Curry over the last decade. Having another scoring option on the floor with him has opened up the court and his shooting percentages have sky rocketed. In the last couple games he has been battling through a thumb injury and that as evident against the Trail Blazers in the penultimate game of the season when he went just 6/14 from the field. He started slow against the Clippers but got hot in the second half, finishing the game 10/20 and scoring 36 points in the loss. Steph and the Warriors have played the Play-In three times since it was introduced in the 2020/21 season, which isn’t ideal, but it could work out in their favor should they win tonight.
Star watch: Grizzlies
Ja Morant sat out last game knowing that he would be needed for this massive matchup to start the Play-In. He is one of the most electric players in the league and he was expected to have the Grizzlies in contention each and every year. A mix of disciplinary issues and injury issues have kept him and the Warriors from challenging in the West over the last few years, but if they get into the playoffs, they could make a run with the help of Morant. Ja is averaging 23 points per game this season which is the lowest since his sophomore season, but lately he has looked like the Ja Morant of old. Since April he has been averaging 30 ppg.
Last game: Warriors
The Warriors took on the Clippers in a playoff game before the playoffs started. They were essentially playing for a direct playoff spot, knowing that the loser of the game would most likely end up in the Play-In. They hosted the red hot Clips in a game that went back and forth until the final buzzer and into overtime. Jimmy Butler carried the Warriors for the first half, but Steph Curry was there in the second half to put Golden State in position to win late in the fourth quarter. Butler had 30 and Curry had 36 but it wasn’t enough to prevent Kawhi Leonard and James Harden from forcing OT. Kawhi had 33 and Harden had 39, scoring almost all of the Clippers points in then overtime session.
Last game: Grizzlies
The Grizzlies played a battered and bruised Dallas Mavericks team on Sunday afternoon and blew them out to close their season on a high note. There was an outside chance of them getting a direct playoff spot, but all th other teams ahead of them took care of business and left the Grizzlies in the Play-In despite not having Ja Morant available. Lamar Stevens stepped up and filled the shoes of Morant, scoring 31 points, while Marvin Bagley III, Cam Spencer and Jay Huff all had 20+ points. The Mavs didn’t have Anthony Davis, P.J. Washington or Dereck Lively Jr. available. The Grizz extended their lead out to 20 points in the second half, and kept that cushion for the rest of the game.
We are live from Chase Center
Hello everyone and welcome to San Francisco where the Warriors find themselves in the Play-In despite going 23-8 since their midseason trade that brought Jimmy Butler to town in February. Despite the impressive turnaround following the trade, the Warriors lost three of their last five to slide into the postseason and now have to win either tonight or on Friday night to get into the playoffs. The Grizzlies started this season flying high, but have spiraled down the standings in the West and now they find themselves having to get through the Dubs tonight or the winner of tomorrow’s 9 vs. 10 game.
Grizzlies vs. Warriors
The seven seed in the West is up for grabs tonight from San Francisco. It’s the first of two Play-In games that will determine the final two participants in the Western Conference Playoffs as Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors host Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies from Chase Center. AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of the win and in game from the Bay.