The Golden State Warriors are currently facing off against the Memphis Grizzlies in a crucial game to begin their postseason.
Of course, with a victory in Tuesday’s Play-In matchup, the Warriors would advance to face the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
With a loss, they would then face the winner of Wednesday’s Play-In game between the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings with the victor moving on to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler
© Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images
It was a slow start for the Warriors on Tuesday night as the Grizzlies came out firing away from three-point range, but that quickly changed.
Golden State has been able to create a comfortable lead heading into the second quarter behind a great performance out of Jimmy Butler, who always seems to turn it up in the postseason.
Apr 9, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) dribbles upcourt against the San Antonio Spurs in the second period at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
David Gonzales-Imagn Images
While the Warriors have started strong, head coach Steve Kerr has made another decisive decision regarding young forward Jonathan Kuminga.
Kerr has elected to use Gary Payton II and Quinten Post off the bench thus far during Tuesday’s contest and according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, the word pregame was that Kerr would not use Kuminga against Memphis.
If that ends up being true, it will mark Kuminga’s second consecutive missed game due to a coach’s decision, which is something to look out for if the Warriors are able to advance.
Of course, Kuminga also sat out of Sunday’s regular season finale that Golden State lost in overtime to the Los Angeles Clippers.
This is a surprising move with Kuminga playing well this season despite missing a ton of time due to injury, but it is clear that Kerr believes that the group he is currently using gives the team the best chance to win.
Because of this, Kuminga will be a player to monitor down the road as the young forward is a restricted free agent in the offseason, which could see him on the move with his future in Golden State looking murky.
