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After securing their eighth trip to the playoffs, head coach Steve Kerr embraced four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry warmly as the buzzer sounded off. It was another feel-good moment between the iconic coach and player duo following another signature Curry performance. The two-time MVP finished with 37 points, eight rebounds, and four assists as the Golden State Warriors survived a furious Memphis Grizzlies team 121-116.
Kerr and Steph share a nice moment after the win 🥹👏 pic.twitter.com/icPmxsd2JJ
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 16, 2025
After the game, Kerr talked about the playoff atmosphere of the play-in tournament.
“[The play-in] is a playoff game even though it disappears under the ether as there's no record of it. I tried to downplay it a bit before the game, but we desperately needed to win this game and get four days [of rest].” Kerr said. “Our guys have been basically playing knockout games for about three weeks, one high-level game after another. It took 83 games, but we're right where we want to be, which is back in the playoffs.”
Curry was sensational in the clutch once again. With 15 points in the fourth quarter, Curry was instrumental in closing out a Grizzlies team that would not go away. The reigning clutch player of the year hit back-to-back 3-pointers to push the Dubs' lead to 6 with a minute remaining. From there, the Warriors held on to the lead despite Memphis inching as close as a single point, with Curry going 4-fo-4 from the free throw line.
The win secured Golden State the seventh seed in the Western Conference, sending them to Houston to face the second-seeded Rockets. And while the Warriors are the lower seed in this matchup, the playoff resumes of Curry and Kerr are bound to give Golden State an edge versus a young and unproven Rockets team.
Jimmy Butler deserves a Steve Kerr hug too
The legend of “Playoff Jimmy” was alive and well in San Francisco in the Warriors' victory over the Grizzlies. Alongside Curry, Jimmy Butler finished with 38 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals. He shot 12-of-20 from the field and 12-for-18 from the free throw line, giving the Dubs crucial bucket after bucket.
After the game, Butler talked about his huge 38-point performance, combining with Curry for 75 points.
“It's always play basketball the right way. Shoot the ball when you're open. Attack into the paint, get to the free throw line, and pass it to the open guy,” Butler said. “I feel like I have the opportunity [in Golden State] to pick my spots incredibly well. And they are always looking to get me the ball in my spots where I can be aggressive and put the ball in the basket. Or make the right play for the next individual. We ran a couple of sets for me to do that, and Steph did all the other stuff.”
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Butler's play, as of late, has surpassed the initial vision of pairing Curry with another primary scorer. The idea behind the Butler-Wiggins trade was to give the Warriors another scoring option to ease Curry's offensive burden. But with how dominant Butler's been for the Warriors, through drawing fouls and finishing tough buckets, he's gone above and beyond what Golden State expected.
Previewing the Rockets matchup
The Dubs will get four much-needed days of rest before facing off with Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun in another Warriors-Rockets playoff matchup. Houston is a familiar playoff opponent for Curry and Kerr. The pair is 4-0 in playoff series matchups, most famously dispelling the James Harden-Chris Paul team that took them to seven games back in 2018.
But Golden State faces a revamped Rockets team fully rebuilt after the departure of Harden. Led by head coach Ime Udoka, Houston is an uber-athletic young team with size and length all over the floor. While Green and Sengun are the main source of the Rockets' offense, the Dubs have a tougher problem to solve on the Houston end: Amen Thompson.
The fourth pick of the 2023 draft, Thompson has become an elite two-way player very early on his career. In the teams' last matchup, Udoka gave Thompson the Curry assignment, and the second-year player held Curry to only 3 points. His size and length blanketed Curry on and off the ball, limiting his damage. The Warriors will to solve the defensive potency Thompson brings if they want to win this series.
For Butler, the issue against the Rockets was related.
“Turnovers,” Butler put bluntly. “We turned the ball over a lot. Can't win ever when they get so many more possessions than we do. If we take care of the ball, we'll be just fine. I think if we worry about us we will be just fine.”
It's Kerr's job to worry about the schematics of this upcoming Houston series. For now, Curry and Butler will get some much-needed rest before they embark on their first playoff series together.
