In what would have been a promising campaign for the Golden State Warriors after acquiring Jimmy Butler, it seems that Stephen Curry and the rest of the gang are headed for a series of survival matches in the Play-In Tournament after finishing as the seventh seed in the Western Conference on the final game of the season.

Essentially, the Warriors went 22-7 with Butler, and Game 82 felt like Game 7 for many teams, including Golden State. However, they failed to salvage what was a great second-half run and now join seven other teams in the league in a bid to capture the final four spots of the NBA Playoffs, which begins this April 20th.

The Warriors finished with a 48-34 record this season, tied with the Memphis Grizzlies with the same record but holding a win advantage in the regular season. Golden State will be battling them for the seventh seed in the Western Conference and a chance to play the Houston Rockets in the first round. A loss would put them for a second chance to play against the winning team between the ninth and 10th seed, and a win will see them play the Oklahoma City Thunder as the eighth seed.

Losing to the Clippers

Butler had 30 points and nine assists, while Stephen Curry had 36 points and six assists – but he finished with eight turnovers as well as was -16 in the game. No other player came close to scoring more than 20 points – as Brandin Podziemski had 19 points, while Draymond Green finished with 14 points.

James Harden pulled off one of his biggest games in the season, where he dropped 39 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard showed why the Clippers are a better team with him – finishing with 33 points, seven assists, and six rebounds in a game that felt like had bigger stakes than a playoff game.

A few games ago, former Warrior Harrison Barnes drilled a game-winning three at Chase Center to beat Golden State at the buzzer, 114-111. While the Spurs have nothing to play for, the Warriors lost out on a key stretch that proved to be a needed win for the team. That has come back to haunt them well with this loss as they would have easily been the sixth seed had they won that game.

Instead, they are now going to square off with the Memphis Grizzlies in the hopes of coming up with a playoff spot – and a chance to earn redemption in the postseason.

The Chase for the Playoff Spots

The Warriors finished as the seventh seed. They will battle the Grizzlies at home in the hopes of securing a date with the Rockets in the first round. If it all ends up as a loss for Golden State, then they would get a second chance – either against the Sacramento Kings or the Dallas Mavericks.

It has been a wild week of hoops in the NBA – especially in the Western Conference. A few weeks ago, we would have seen the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers in the Play-In Tournament as well had they not won in their respective games to secure the higher seeds in the West.

The Eastern Conference, on the other hand, will feature the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and the Miami Heat in their own Play-In Tournament. The Play-In begins today, while the first round of the NBA Playoffs will follow suit.