The Golden State Warriors had a chance to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday, when the Warriors lost 124-119 to the Los Angeles Clippers in overtime. This has forced the Warriors into the Play-In, where they’ll face the Memphis Grizzlies.
Related: Warriors fall to play-in tournament after OT loss to Clippers
The loss to the Clippers hurts the Warriors by taking away their rest. Stephen Curry has been battling a thumb injury and the extra time off before the start of the postseason would’ve been helpful.
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Now, without the rest, Curry will have to play tomorrow in the Play-In. According to analyst Stephen A. Smith, the Warriors loss to the Clippers will have a negative effect on Golden State going forward in the playoffs.
“I think when you’re talking about the play-in, obviously that denies them the opportunity and the additional rest they were looking for,” Smith said. “Had you won yesterday’s game, it buys you the whole week of rest and the ability to potentially recover from [injuries].
“Going up against Memphis, who is a relatively physical team … let’s say, for example, Golden State wins this game. If you win this game, you’re going up against Houston. How often are we going to sleep on Houston?”
The Grizzlies have had a tough final stretch of the season, losing 10 of their last 16 games. Memphis has also had to deal with the distraction of Ja Morant’s celebrations.
Which team will have the upper hand in the Play-In tournament game?
Grizzlies vs. Warriors: Season series
The Grizzlies faced the Warriors four times during the regular season and one team had the advantage. Golden State won three out of the four matchups this season, but Memphis has an advantage.
In 2021, the Grizzlies defeated the Warriors in a Play-In game, ending Golden State’s playoff hopes once and for all. The 2021 Play-In saw Morant and Curry battle each other. Morant scored 35 points in the 117-112 victory, while Curry dropped 39 in defeat.
In the first regular season matchup between the two teams, the Warriors used the home court to their advantage, winning 123-118. In the game, Curry only attempted nine shots, scoring 13 points, but it didn’t matter.
Buddy Hield led the Warriors’ scoring with 18 off the bench. Draymond Green had a solid game scoring 13 while adding eight rebounds and seven assists before being ejected late in the game thanks to his second technical.
The Grizzlies fought hard and showed good signs, as they were without Morant. This gave Memphis the hope that when Morant returned, the outcome would be different.
That’s exactly what happened a month later when the two teams met in Memphis. Morant was back, and the game belonged to the Grizzlies.
Memphis dominated winning 144-93, with solid all-round play from the team. Morant was back, but he had a quiet game, scoring nine points on 4-9 shooting.
This was pretty quiet by Morant, but for the Warriors, Curry was silent. The three-point specialist couldn’t find the mark shooting 0-7 overall and 0-6 from three. He scored just two points on free throws.
Curry would have to wait to bounce back against the Grizzlies, as he missed the third meeting, which took place back on the Warriors’ home court. Golden State rested Curry on the second of a back-to-back, thanks to his knee problems.
The Grizzlies were also without their star, as Morant missed the game thanks to an AC joint strain. Without the stars, both teams found balance scoring with Jaren Jackson Jr. leading Memphis with 23 points and Andrew Wiggins taking charge for the Warriors with 24 points.
In the end, the Warriors got the best of the Grizzlies winning 121-113. This led to one final game between the two teams, which occurred recently on April 1, 2025.
In this game, there would be no April fools. Curry was back, and he put on a show for the Memphis crowd. Curry dropped his second-highest point total of the season, scoring 52 points on 16-31 shooting, including 12-20 from three.
This truly was a bounce back game from Curry. Morant had a great game himself, scoring 36 points on 14-22 shooting, including 5-8 from distance.
It didn’t matter, however. The game belonged to Curry, and he sent a strong message to the Grizzlies.
Will the Grizzlies bounce back and repeat their 2021 Play-In by defeating the Warriors? Or will Golden State, who is 0-3 all-time in Play-In games, finally come through with a victory?
Stay tuned, tip-off is 10:00 PM EST on Tuesday April 15.
