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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry threw their arms around each other and embraced.
Playoff Jimmy in all his brilliance on the big stage took all the pressure off Curry, and now they're taking the Golden State Warriors to the playoffs.
“I know I want to win a championship so he needs, his what, this would be No. 5?” Butler said.
Butler had 38 points, seven rebounds and six assists creating opportunities on both ends at every chance, Curry scored 37, and the Warriors earned the seventh seed in the Western Conference by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 on Tuesday night in the Play-In Tournament.
Curry knocked down a baseline 3-pointer with 1:50 to go and one from the left wing with a minute on the clock then converted four free throws in the closing five seconds.
Golden State is now headed for a best-of-seven first-round series with the Rockets beginning with Game 1 on Sunday at Houston.
“It took 83 games but we’re right where we want to be, which is back in the playoffs and we've got a chance,” coach Steve Kerr said.
After a pair of free throws by Curry with 5.4 seconds left, the Grizzlies had one last chance — but Santi Aldama couldn’t inbound the ball before a five-second violation.
Desmond Bane scored 30 points and Ja Morant 22 for Memphis, which will head home to play Friday against the winner of the Mavericks-Kings matchup on Wednesday night in Sacramento to determine the eighth playoff spot.
With the Grizzlies on a roll midway through the third, Butler grabbed momentum back with a steal and dunk. He shot 12 for 20 in a second straight 30-point performance and his highest scoring game since joining the Warriors at the trade deadline. He made 12 of 18 free throws — having been 63 of 68 from the line over the previous eight games in April.
Morant went down hard rolling his right ankle when he stepped on Buddy Hield’s foot and was fouled by Quinten Post with 4:25 remaining in the third but got up and finished the three-point play to pull the Grizzlies within 82-81.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 18 points, while Zach Edey contributed 14 points, 17 rebounds and hit two free throws with 14.3 seconds left.
Curry had eight rebounds, four assists and shot 9 for 22 while regularly swarmed by Scotty Pippen Jr. before he fouled out late.
Curry had lit up the Grizzlies for 52 points on their home floor in a 134-125 win on April 1, and the Grizzlies made him a top priority this time — so Butler took charge.
“He's different,” Draymond Green said.
He led four straight scoring possessions to put the Warriors up 31-18 late in the first quarter — assisting on Gary Payton II’s cutting dunk, dishing to Post for a 3 and making a 3-point shot and three-point play himself. Butler showed no signs of being affected by a tender left quadriceps muscle after he took a knee from Kawhi Leonard on Sunday.
The Warriors hoped to avoid this extra game, but lost in overtime to the Clippers in the regular-season finale on Sunday for their third home defeat over the final week.
Curry, Green and the Warriors had been 0-3 in play-in games during appearances in 2021 and last year. The Grizzlies eliminated them at Chase Center with a 117-112 overtime victory in ’21.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
