Since the Golden State Warriors won their most recent NBA championship in 2022, their back has been against the wall in the relentless Western Conference.
They won 12 of their first 15 games in the 2024-25 campaign but proceeded to tumble down the standings. The arrival of Jimmy Butler breathed new life into the Dubs, before a slide in the final week of the regular season thrust them into the Play-In Tournament for a second consecutive year. Golden State was once again forced to claw its way out of danger, and it did so by surviving the vising Memphis Grizzlies.
Butler posted his best game yet as a member of the Warriors, totaling 38 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals while shooting 12-of-18 in the 121-116 win. Stephen Curry put on his chef hat in the fourth quarter, knocking down multiple clutch 3-pointers to ward off the Grizzlies and finishing with 37 points and eight rebounds.
That’s right, this sensational duo combined for more than half of the Warriors’ offensive output, and even then, it still took a devastating Grizzlies in-bound blunder to put the game firmly in Golden State’s grasp. Some fans view this squad as weak entering its first-round playoffs series versus the No. 2-seeded Houston Rockets. Steve Kerr is just relieved to get a fresh start and grateful for the opportunity to breathe a bit.
“We desperately needed to win this game and get four days,” the Warriors head coach told reporters after the victory, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson. “Took 83 games, but we’re right back where we want to be in the playoffs.”
Warriors look to build momentum after fighting to make postseason
Once an experienced team loaded with talent and championship rings finds its footing, the rest of the conference is put on notice. The only question, though, is do the Dubs have their feet firmly planted on the ground?
Jonathan Kuminga spent another game on the bench and enters the playoffs with an undefined role. Brandin Podziemski is still a streaky shooter despite the recent strides he has made. And although Quinten Post and Gary Payton II combined for 23 points versus Memphis, Kerr requires more offensive production from his bench.
But Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green could position the Warriors for another deep postseason run. They must take full advantage of the next four days and get themselves ready for the Rockets. Avoiding a do-or-die Play-In game against either the Sacramento Kings or Dallas Mavericks, which would have occurred on Friday, is undoubtedly huge for a team that relies so much on its veteran core.
Tuesday’s hard-earned, desperate win over Memphis could ironically be the way the Warriors finally escape desperation mode.
Copyright © AntephTrends.
