The Golden State Warriors will be out to secure the seventh-seed in the Western Conference when they host the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center on Tuesday night.
After a narrow, emotion-packed and bitterly disappointing loss to the L.A. Clippers in the regular season finale, the Warriors will have to lift themselves off the canvas against a rested Grizzlies team looking to take advantage of their opponent's potentially weary legs.
Jimmy Butler is cleared to go for the Warriors on Tuesday
Jimmy Butler played an incredible 48 minutes against the Clippers, but it was his late collision with Kawhi Leonard that would have left Golden State fans most anxious heading into Tuesday's game.
Leonard kneed Butler in the thigh on a drive to the basket in the final minute of overtime, leaving the 6x All-Star grimmacing in pain and limping around in concerning fashion. While Butler remained on the floor for the final couple possessions, it was without impact as his team fell to an agonising 124-119 defeat.
However, the 35-year-old has been cleared for Tuesday's game against the Grizzlies, with Warrior fans now allowed to breath a little easier as their team looks to win the right to face the Houston Rockets in the first-round.
Butler's comparative Play-In Tournament success will be vitally important to a team looking to rid their nightmares. The Warriors are 0-3 since its inception in 2021, including back-to-back losses that year to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Grizzlies. Butler, on the other hand, has found some success in the Play-In Tournament, including in 2023 where the Miami Heat secured the eighth-seed which sparked an unlikely run all the way to the NBA Finals.
Butler isn't the only Golden State star to be dealing with some injury issues, with Stephen Curry having his thumb wrapped up heavily during Sunday's game after re-aggravating it against the Portland Trail Blazers two days earlier.
While the thumb sprain could be an ongoing concern for Curry, the 2x MVP still went for 36 points on a scorching 7-of-12 from 3-point range against the Clippers, including 18 fourth-quarter points that nearly got his team over the line.
As the Warriors were fighting desperately to secure the sixth-seed on Sunday, the Grizzlies were condemned to eighth even prior to their game against the Dallas Mavericks. That afforded them the opportunity rest a host of key players, including Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., Santi Aldama, Zach Edey and Scotty Pippen Jr.
Memphis will be without Jaylen Wells after his nasty fall last week that left him with a broken wrist, leaving them with an answer to be found on how best to guard Curry after he went for 52 points at FedExForum on April 1.
The Warriors won three of the four regular season meetings between the two teams, but that will count for little on Tuesday when both fight tooth and nail to clinch a playoff spot.