Warriors lose to Clippers, stumble into dangerous Play-In game against Grizzlies

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SAN FRANCISCO — If the Golden State Warriors didn’t punt away a gimme last Wednesday night to the 34-48 San Antonio Spurs, if Harrison Barnes didn’t dagger them with a fadeaway at the buzzer, they would’ve already clinched a top-six seed prior to Sunday afternoon.

If they’d played a little sharper against a rising Los Angeles Clippers team, if they’d fared better in Steph Curry’s 38 minutes (minus-16), if they hadn’t been pummeled on the glass (42-25 rebounding disadvantage), they could’ve snuck into the sixth seed on the regular season’s final day.

But they lost to the Clippers in overtime 124-119 after Draymond Green “smoked a layup,” as he self-described, with 26 seconds left and down two, and Buddy Hield missed a score-tying 3 in the closing moments.

“I had too many turnovers,” Curry said of his eight giveaways.

The details matter little. It’s about the results and ramifications this time of year. Their mini cold streak — three losses in five games to close the regular season — bumped the Warriors down to the seventh seed on the wrong day. That means no Lakers matchup in the first round and, at this point, no guarantee of a first round.

They’ll instead face the Grizzlies on Tuesday night in Chase Center for the first of two chances to advance into the playoffs through the Play-In Tournament.

What are the stakes?

If the Warriors beat the Grizzlies, they’ll get the Houston Rockets in the first round. The series would start Sunday in Houston, delivering them four days of rest and preparation time before Game 1. They’d be on the same side of the bracket as the Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves series.

If the Warriors lose to the Grizzlies, they’ll face a do-or-die elimination game on Friday night in San Francisco against the winner of the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings game on Wednesday. If they were to survive that, the Warriors would travel to Oklahoma City to face the 68-win Thunder on one day of rest. They’d be on the same side of the bracket as the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.

What is their fatigue level?

In maybe his best performance for the Warriors since the trade, Jimmy Butler scored 30 points in 48 hard minutes against the Clippers. Near the end of overtime, he took a flying Kawhi Leonard knee to the left thigh that left him in obvious pain.

Butler was limping around the locker room postgame and grimacing as he dressed. He maintained that he’d play on Tuesday night against the Grizzlies, but Butler said he hadn’t suffered a thigh bruise that significant in a long time. Butler carries an increasing load for the Warriors. It’d be a large blow if he’s limited at all.

Jimmy Butler was limping postgame. Left thigh hurting. Took that knee from Kawhi Leonard late. But he said he plans to play Tuesday vs Grizzlies. Here is his full media availability. pic.twitter.com/zdSKj4frsl

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 13, 2025

Butler isn’t the only beat up older star. Curry’s sprained right thumb was heavily wrapped and Green left the game in the first half after he took a blow to the back of his head and appeared to injure his neck, forcing him to the locker room. He’d return and play 38 minutes, the same amount as Curry, and said afterward he wasn’t worried about the building fatigue, despite them missing out on a chance at a full week of rest.

“We’re not senior citizens,” Green said. “We’re high-level basketball players. We’ll be alright. We train all year for this. No disrespect to our senior citizens, by the way. We love our senior citizens. But we ain’t there yet.”

Draymond Green on the accumulated fatigue for a veteran team entering the play-in tournament: “We’re not senior citizens.” pic.twitter.com/kGa0MXoi7M

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 13, 2025

How did the rotation look?

Jonathan Kuminga didn’t enter the game against the Clippers. It was a rotation decision that coach Steve Kerr made while prepping for the game on Saturday. He delivered the news to Kuminga at the walk-through before Sunday’s game.

“We’ve just found a group since Jimmy got here that we’re pretty comfortable with,” Kerr said. “Gui (Santos) didn’t play either. He’s been our highest plus/minus guy. Both he and JK have been really impactful players for us. It doesn’t mean they’re out of the loop going forward. This is just how this game played out.”

Kuminga wasn’t particularly impactful in three games against the Grizzlies this season and missed their most recent win over Memphis because of a pelvic injury. Kerr has been quietly signaling the possibility of moving away from Kuminga in the rotation due to the negative lineup numbers.

If the Warriors advance and face the Rockets, it would seem to profile as a series that fits Kuminga. He scored 20, 23 and 33 points in three games against Houston this season and helps the Warriors match some of their athleticism.

What could decide the matchup against Memphis?

Jaren Jackson Jr.’s foul count could be the swing factor. Jackson committed two bad first-quarter fouls in their most recent matchup, bowling over Moses Moody unnecessarily while chasing a rebound for his second whistle at the 8:40 mark. It was 11-10 Grizzlies at that juncture. When Jackson returned, the Warriors were up 45-32.

The Warriors feasted in that game against any Grizzlies lineup that featured Santi Aldama. He was a team-worst minus-26 in a nine-point Warriors win. Jackson, meanwhile, was a plus-5 in 31 minutes, but was strapped to the bench when the Warriors took control of the game and then missed the final two minutes after Butler baited him into his sixth foul (shown below) with this pump fake.

This is what Green had to say postgame about Jackson’s foul trouble.

Draymond Green on Jaren Jackson Jr.: “He’s too good to still be getting in foul trouble. A couple of those he picked up, he can stay away from those. It’s time for him to take that next step in that department.” pic.twitter.com/lzRrXwEkVb

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 2, 2025

What else relevant happened in that last game?

The Warriors struggled to contain Ja Morant. He had 36 points against a defense that didn’t have the injured Kuminga and Gary Payton II. Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski shared the assignment and struggled. Butler handled him well on a switch on one of the night’s deciding possessions, stalling a drive and forcing a steal. But Morant finished with 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting. Payton will probably get a bulk of Tuesday’s assignment.

On the other side, the Grizzlies had an even tougher time with Curry, who finished with 52 points on 16-of-31 shooting. They had repetitive defensive breakdowns, leading to a downpour of 3s. Curry made 12 of them, attacking Zach Edey in space when the matchups allowed. The Grizzlies will also be without Jaylen Wells, their primary Curry defender, on Tuesday night. He’s out for the season with a broken wrist after a nasty fall last week.

(Photo of Jimmy Butler going to the basket against Bogdan Bogdanovic: Robert Edwards / Imagn Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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