The Golden State Warriors secured their first win in four play-in games, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 on Tuesday night. Stephen Curry scored 37 points and Jimmy Butler delivered his best game for Golden State with 38 points.
The team’s long-awaited victory came as a sense of relief, after two-plus months of chasing a postseason berth. Coach Steve Kerr praised his team, saying they “desperately needed to win this game” after playing “knockout games” for three weeks.
Butler has been in top form since joining the Warriors, scoring 68 points over his last two games. He helped Golden State jump out to a 20-point lead midway through the second quarter and scored 15 points in the final 7:02 of the game, including two clutch 3-pointers with under two minutes left.
The win marked the fifth time Golden State has faced Memphis in the playoffs, with the Warriors winning all four previous matchups. Butler is excited to face his former team again, saying he feels like he can give any team a chance to win.
Golden State will now head into a first-round series against the second-seeded Houston Rockets, who they have a history of defeating. The Warriors are looking forward to playing meaningful games and appreciating the opportunity to make the playoffs after a long and challenging regular season.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/44693889/butler-curry-lead-warriors-grizzlies-playoffs