It’s not quite the NBA playoffs just yet–as we reminded folks in our last musing, it’s the professional answer to college’s First Four. It’s not necessarily where the Golden State Warriors thought they would be when the 2024-25 season began–heck, it’s arguably where they didn’t they would be when last weekend began. And it’s a not a place they likely wanted to be at all–heck, until last night, they had lost their first three games in this gimmick’s brief history.
But their late season acquisition has been there before, as he has been in the post-season on numerous other occasions. So perhaps we can cut NBC SPORTS’ Kurt Helin some slack when he prematurely evoked a nickname that we’ve come to expect would be an annual evocation this time of year:
Playoff Jimmy — or, should we say Play-in Jimmy — is back.
Jimmy Butler III scored 38 points, got to the free-throw line 18 times, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists — and the Warriors needed all of that on a night their offense was sluggish much of the game. Then in the clutch, Golden State got a couple of key Stephen Curry 3-pointers and hung on to beat the Grizzlies.
Memphis arguably put on a heroic effort to keep the final score 121-116 Dubs, considering how much drama has been going on of late, a saga that only became more exaggerated toward the end of the game, as BLEACHER REPORT’s Scott Polacek acknowledged:
It looked like an impossible battle in the first half as the Warriors extended their lead to as many as 20 with Curry hitting threes, converting a four-point play and battling for boards while Butler poured in 21 points before intermission. To the Grizzlies’ credit, they didn’t fade away.
(Desmond) Bane did much of the heavy lifting on the offensive end while Scotty Pippen Jr. bothered Curry on the defensive side. Jaren Jackson Jr. also added some timely shooting as a matchup nightmare, and all the momentum was suddenly on the visitors’ side as they controlled play for extended stretches in the third quarter.
Yet there was still reason for concern even after taking the lead in the fourth quarter because (Ja) Morant twisted his ankle and was in obvious pain on the sidelines. He returned with a clear limp but still had enough explosion to get into the lane and create scoring chances for himself and others. Memphis needed that to take some of the offensive pressure away from Bane and keep up with (the) Butler-Curry onslaught.
Butler does his best when he elevates his wingmen. In that 2023 game against Chicago, Max Strus became a legend for a night, equalling Butler’s 31 thanks in large part to eight treys. But on this night, and now for at least one seven-game series, said wingman is the legendary Curry, now officially cleared to chase his “one for the thumb” ring.
Last night, even the Master Chef himself needed help, and as Helin detailed he sure got it:
From the opening tip, Butler went right at the Grizzlies’ anchor, 7’4” Zach Edey. When Edey played off him early, Butler drained a couple of 3-pointers right over him. That brought Edey out, and Butler started going downhill, getting past him, into the paint, and drawing fouls.
Beyond Butler, other Warriors stepped up, including Gary Payton II and Quinten Post off the bench. And, as always, in the clutch there was Curry doing Curry things.
No doubt watching all of this intently were the #2 seed Houston Rockets, who are actually underdogs to the now seventh-seeded Dub Nation. And it’s easy to see why. For as overachieving as the youthful Houston team under its intense and seasoned coach Ime Udoka has been, they won a whopping four games more than did Golden State (or, for that matter, Memphis) in the regular season. And virtually none of their key players have played a minute of basketball outside it.
The Heat and Bulls will meet yet again in a winner-goes-home game tonight in Chicago, without Butler and also without Strus, now a well-paid member of the 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers. They did handily oust Chicago last year in a similar situation without the injured Butler, so there is a glimmer of hope for the remaining Miami zealots (hand raised) out there. But last night was a sobering reminder that Postseason Jimmy is somewhere else. He’s in a fancy new kitchen, and he’s cooking with gas.
Courage…