A 75-point total by Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry against the Memphis Grizzlies will help the Golden State Warriors qualify for the NBA Playoffs vs. Houston Rocket.
Jimmy Butler III scored 38 points, while Stephen Curry added 37 points. The Golden State Warriors won the Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 in the National Basketball Association play round, earning the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
A thrilling duel at San Francisco’s Chase Center on Tuesday led the Warriors to follow up to 20 points after a ferocious late Memphis fight before appearing towards the lead later in the game.
However, when Memphis threatened to snatch a famous victory, Curry stepped up in the 15-point massive fourth quarter, shepherd the Warriors for a victory that set up a first-round playoff series against the second-seeded Houston Rockets.
Curry finished with six three-pointers in the evening, with Butler leading all the scorers in another stunning performance of the former Miami Heat Talisman.
After the match, Butler singled his teammate Curry for rescuing the Warriors in a heroic fourth quarter display.
“I’m telling you, if you’ve ever seen Batman, it’s Batman – always come to save the day,” Butler said of Curry.
“You’ve never left the game [with Curry]he was very calm, very calm and he was a big part of getting us a victory,” he told TNT TV.
“And we have a group of people who are fighting a lot.
Memphis lost a lot of momentum in the third quarter, when he was forced to leave the floor for a few minutes after rolling his ankle in the third quarter, pondering what happened after a second half fight.
Desmond Bain led the way from the front with 30 points and Morant returned to the game, but finished with 22 points, despite his injuries clearly hampered him.
The Grizzlies will face other play-in winners Wednesday for the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks for the final play-off ticket for the Western Conference.
The Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III #10 is being protected by the Memphis Grizzlies Santiaru Dama #7 in the first half of the NBA Play-In Tournament game held at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, USA on April 15, 2025. [Ezra Shaw/Getty Images via AFP]
Magic rules the Hawk
In another play-in game on Tuesday, Cole Anthony scored 26 points from the bench. The Orlando Magic booked their location in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs with a 120-95 home victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Orlando’s excellent production from the bench proved to be critical as the magic scored the seventh seed.
Orlando will play the second-seeded Boston Celtics in the opening round of the playoffs.
Atlanta will face the winner of Wednesday’s Play-In Crush between Chicago and Miami on Friday, deciding on the final Eastern Conference mooring.
In Tuesday’s evidence, Orlando heads out to meet Boston, the defending champion, who is confidently brimming after a trained performance at both ends of the courthouse.
Cole Anthony and teammate Anthony Black tied it with 42 points, including seven three-pointers, to give Orlando the victory.
Orlando Center’s Wendell Carter JR led the score with 19 points from Magic Starter, while Paolo Bancello added 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Hawks star Trae Young led Atlanta’s scoring with 28 points before being kicked out late in the fourth quarter.
After a round trip to the first quarter when Reed changed hands six times, Orlando seized control of the contest with an 18-4 run, propelling the magic into a 32-17 lead heading into the second quarter.
Atlanta closed the gap to three points in the third term, but the 41-21 Orlando fourth quarter margin rounded out a compelling home side victory.
Orlando Magic’s Franz Wagner #22 and Paolo Banchelo #5 will celebrate during their match against the Atlanta Hawks at the 2025 Sophie Play-In Tournament at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, USA on April 15, 2025. [Fernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images via AFP]
