Warriors forgive clippers, stumble on dangerous game games against Grizzlies
San Francisco-if the Golden State Warriors had not removed a gimme on Wednesday evening at 34-48 San Antonio Spurs, if Harrison Barnes did not give them with a Fadeaway to the Cicalino, they would have already conquered a high seed six before Sunday afternoon.
If they had played a little more clearly against a team in the birth of Los Angeles Clippers, if they had gone better in the 38 minutes of Steph Curry (less-16), if they had not been affected on the glass (42-25 disadvantages of rebound), they could have sagged in the sixth seed on the last day of the regular season.
But they lost against the clippers in the extraordinary 124-119 after Draymond Green “smoked a layup”, while he self-excribed, with 26 seconds to the left and down, and Buddy Hield lost a score 3 in the closing moments.
“I had too many turnover,” said Curry of his eight tributes.
The details count little. It concerns results and branches at this time of year. Their mini cold strip – three losses in five games to close the regular season – lowered the Warriors to the seventh seed on the wrong day. This means that no Lakers matchup in the first round and, at this point, no guarantee of a first round.
On Tuesday evening the Grizzlies will face Chase Center for the first of the two possibilities to advance in the playoffs through the play-in tournament.
What are the stakes?
If the Warriors have beaten the Grizzlies, they will get the Houston Rockets in the first round. The series would have started on Sunday in Houston, delivering four days of rest and preparation before the game 1. They would be on the same part of the Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves series.
If Warriors lose the Grizzlies, they will have to face an elimination game to be done on Friday evening in San Francisco against the winner of the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings match on Wednesday. If they survive, the warriors would go to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder at 68 wins on a day of rest. They would be on the same part of the parenthesis of the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.
What is their level of effort?
In perhaps his best performance for the Warriors from trade, Jimmy Butler has scored 30 points in 48 difficult minutes against Clippers. Towards the end of the extraordinary, he took a Kawhi Leonard flying knee up to the left thigh that left him under the obvious pain.
Butler was limping for the post -gioco changing room and dampened while he dresses. He claimed that he would play on Tuesday evening against the Grizzlies, but Butler said he hadn’t suffered a bruise of his thigh for a long time. Butler brings a growing load for warriors. It would be a serious blow if it is limited.
Jimmy Butler was limp post -gioco. He hurt the left thigh. He took that knee from Kawhi Leonard late. But he said he plans to play Vs Grizzlies on Tuesday. Here is its availability with the complete media. pic.twitter.com/zdskj4Frl
– Anthony Slater (@Anthonyvslater) April 13, 2025
Butler is not the only older star. The right -handed curry thumb was heavily wrapped and Green left the game in the first half after taking a blow to the back of the head and seemed to be injured his neck, forcing him to the locker room. He would return and play 38 minutes, the same amount of curry, and later he said he was not worried about the effort of the building, despite having lost a chance for a whole week of rest.
“We are not elderly citizens,” said Green. “We are high -level basketball players. We will be fine. We train all year round for this. No lack of respect for our elderly, by the way. We love our elderly. But we are not yet there.”
Draymond Green on the fatigue accumulated for a veteran team that enters the games tournament: “We are not elderly citizens”. pic.twitter.com/kga0mxoi7m
– Anthony Slater (@Anthonyvslater) April 13, 2025
How did the rotation seem?
Jonathan Kuminga did not enter the match against Clippers. It was a rotation decision that coach Steve Kerr took while preparing for Saturday’s game. He delivered the news to Kuminga at the walk before Sunday’s match.
“We have just found a group since Jimmy arrived here with which we are quite at ease,” said Kerr. “Even Gui (Santos) did not play. It was our highest/less boy. Both he and JK were really impactful players for us. It doesn’t mean they are out of the loop in the future. This is just like this game took place.”
Kuminga did not have a particularly impact impact in three games against the Grizzlies this season and has lost their most recent victory over Memphis due to a pelvic injury. Kerr has quietly marked the possibility of moving away from Kuminga in the rotation due to the negative formation numbers.
If the Warriors advance and face the rockets, it would seem to profile as a series that adapts to Kuminga. He scored 20, 23 and 33 points in three games against Houston this season and helps the Warriors to combine part of their athleticism.
What could decide the matchup against Memphis?
The counting of the fouls of Jaren Jackson Jr. could be the Swing factor. Jackson committed two bad fouls of the first quarter in their latest matchup, bowling on Moses Moody unnecessarily while chasing a rebound for his second whistle at 8: 40. There were 11-10 Grizzlies at that moment. When Jackson returned, the Warriors were raised 45-32.
The Warriors celebrated in that match against any Green Gamma that presented Santi Alfama. It was a minus-26 for the team in a Warriors victory at nine points. Jackson, meanwhile, was a plus-5 in 31 minutes, but was tied to the bench when the Warriors took control of the game and then lost the last two minutes after Butler triggered him in his sixth foul (shown below) with this false pump.
This is what Green had to say post -Gioco on Jackson’s disgusting problem.
Draymond Green on Jaren Jackson Jr.: “He is too good to still get in difficulty. A couple of those he has collected, he can stay away from those. It is now that he takes that next step in that department.” pic.twitter.com/lzrrxwekvb
– Anthony Slater (@Anthonyvslater) April 2, 2025
What else has happened in that last game?
The warriors struggled to contain Ja Morant. He had 36 points against a defense that did not have the injured Kuminga and Gary Payton II. Moses Moody and Brandin Podiemski shared the assignment and fight. Butler managed him well on a switch on one of the decisive assets of the night, blocking a disc and forcing a theft. But Morant closed with 36 points on shooting 14 out of 22. Payton will probably have most of Tuesday’s task.
On the other hand, the Grizzlies had an even harder moment with curry, which closed with 52 points with the shooting 16 out of 31. They had repetitive defensive breaks, leading to a 3S downpour. Curry made 12, attacking Zach Edey in space when the matchups allowed. The Grizzlies will also be without Jaylen Wells, their main defender of the curry, Tuesday evening. It is out for the season with a broken wrist after a bad fall of last week.
(Photo of Jimmy Butler who goes to the trash against Bogdan Bogdanovic: Robert Edwards / Image Images)
