2025 NBA Play-In Tournament highlights: Warriors, Magic clinch playoff berths
The 2025 NBA play-in tournament tipped off on Tuesday and although both No. 7 seeds advanced, the results were far from predetermined, particularly in the Western Conference, where the Golden State Warriors just barely outlasted the Memphis Grizzlies.
Here's a recap of Day 1 of the play-in tournament:
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.
Orlando Magic stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner entered Tuesday's NBA Play-In Game averaging a combined 60-plus-points against the Atlanta Hawks this season. But, as the two struggled to find their offense, the Magic's bench stepped up and led them to an 120-95 win.
Cole Anthony came off the bench to lead Orlando with 26 points and six assists, while Anthony Black scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, and was a game-high plus-34 in 28 minutes. With the victory, the Magic will advance to play in a first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics starting on Sunday at Boston.
After jumping out to an early double-digit lead, it looked as if the Magic would cruise into that 7-seed, but then the Hawks surged out of the half-time break. They cut the margin to 71-68 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter as Orlando's offense went cold. It's common for the Magic to have poor offensive stretches during games and that will be a problem moving forward. It almost downed them on Tuesday, but they kicked into gear and didn't let Atlanta capture the lead, before blowing the Hawks out of the water in the fourth quarter.
The Magic tend to make up for their lack of offense with one of the best defenses in the NBA. That was on display Tuesday as they held the Hawks to 38.1% shooting from the field and 19% from 3-point range. While Trae Young finished with 28 points, he was an inefficient 8-of-21 and the Magic got under his skin to the point that he kicked the ball in anger in addition to chucking the ball at an official, which earned him a pair of technical fouls and an ejection in the fourth quarter.
Banchero ended with 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, but Orlando will need more from him if it wants any chance against Boston.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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