Programming Note: Tune into “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday on NBC Sports Bay Area before the Warriors and Grizzlies tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Warriors Postgame Live.”
SAN FRANCISCO — The stakes for the Warriors were as high as they could be for a regular-season finale Sunday, which meant an early appearance from Playoff Jimmy Butler.
Even with all the pressure and playoff implications looming over Golden State’s matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers, Butler remained cool. Calm. Collected. Confident.
Butler’s first made basket didn’t come until six-and-a-half minutes into the game. After that, it was business as usual for the 35-year-old, who showcased a vintage Playoff Jimmy performance in a 124-119 loss. He finished with 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting and went 6 of 9 from the free-throw line, adding nine assists, one steal and one block in a team-high 48 minutes.
Despite his effort, the Warriors couldn’t get the job done to secure the No. 6 playoff seed and punch a ticket to the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Instead, they dropped to the No. 7 play-in slot and will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
While it wasn’t the outcome the Warriors wanted, it’s an atmosphere Butler welcomes.
The Warriors are 0-3 in their previous play-in contests. Butler’s track record is a bit different, as he has found success in the play-in tournament during his time with the Miami Heat. In 2023, Butler and Miami lost a play-in game to the Atlanta Hawks but bounced back to beat the Chicago Bulls courtesy of his 31 points. The Heat went on to make it to the NBA Finals that year.
“We’re right where we want to be,” Butler said postgame. “We still got an opportunity, and we control our own fate. We’re going to be just fine.”
Draymond Green approached the postgame podium slightly sluggish and unusually monotone. He was upset with the loss, and it showed by his demeanor and trickled off his tongue word by word.
But when asked about Butler’s presence and how he can help the Warriors still make a deep postseason push, Green spoke passionately about his teammate’s impact.
“I mean, we just draw on having Jimmy as a whole,” Green said. “You have a guy who can kind of slow the pace of the game down for us, get us into good things, having another No. 1 next to Steph is different.
“So it definitely makes us a much better team. Tonight, we didn’t capitalize on his great game, but it makes us a much more complete, better team.”
Golden State’s 2023-24 season ended with a deflating play-in loss to the Sacramento Kings. In 2020-21, the Warriors lost to the Los Angeles Lakers by three before suffering a season-ending play-in loss to the Grizzlies.
Those losses still sting for the Warriors, but they’re hopeful Butler gets them over that hump.
“We joked about that last week,” Steph Curry said of Butler’s play-in success. “He went into the play-in packing for two months. So we would love to have that opportunity. We haven’t had a good outcome in the three [play-in] games. I remember each one vividly.
“[LeBron James] hit that shot in the right wing. Ja [Morant] hits a couple tough buckets. And we washed the Sacramento game down the drain pretty quick. So just win.”
While Butler’s impact historically has heightened come postseason time, Curry has felt his presence since the former Heat forward first was traded to Golden State in early February. Curry only hopes that continues this week and moving forward.
Sunday’s game was the perfect indication of just that.
Butler’s steady presence was needed for the Warriors while their best player struggled to find a consistent groove through the first three quarters. Curry entered the fourth quarter with 15 points. Butler at the time had 24.
The baton was passed over to Curry, who got rolling in the final frame to force overtime. He wound up with 36 points.
That double-threat dynamic has the potential to be lethal in a momentous postseason atmosphere.
“I mean, I don’t know how you could be any more confident,” Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski said of Butler’s postseason impact. “I don’t know if there’s any one person in a play-in situation that you would want on your team. Maybe Steph.
“And we have both of them. So the confidence is there. You know him and Steph are going to produce and now it just becomes what other role guys are going to step up and want the moment.”
Butler doesn’t feel any pressure from all the “Playoff Jimmy” talk. He’s grateful and honored that his teammates have that confidence and faith in him, but he let it be known that he’s not the only one who can make some magic happen when needed.
“I do [feel the responsibility],” Butler said. “But man, we got a lot of really good basketball players around this locker room key in what we’re trying to do. I like the confidence that [the team] has in myself, I also have that same amount of confidence.
“So I know that I and we have a job to do, and I know that we’re capable of doing it. So play-in, here we come.”
The winner of Tuesday’s game will clinch the No. 7 seed and face the Houston Rockets in a best-of-seven first-round playoff series. The loser will still have a chance to keep their season alive Friday against the winner of the Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks game that will be played Wednesday.
The stage is set. The curtains are open. And it’s Butler’s time to shine.
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