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Jimmy Butler, Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors secured an important win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday, April 26. Golden State now holds a 2-1 lead over Ime Udoka’s team, and will remain in the Chase Center for game four.
What’s even more impressive is that Golden State’s win came despite Jimmy Butler being out of the rotation. The All-Star forward is dealing with a deep glute muscle contusion, which he sustained in game two.
In Butler’s absence, Stephen Curry stepped up to take control of the game. The veteran sharpshooter ended the night with 36 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds. He shot 52.2% from the field and 38.5% from deep to help his team take control of their opening playoff series.
Following the game, Butler took to Instagram to send a four-word message to Curry and his teammates.
“Thanks Batman and team,” Butler posted.
Butler has been a key part of the Warriors’ roster since arriving at the Feb. 6 trade deadline. His physicality and two-way production have elevated Steve Kerr’s team, while his rim pressure has opened up the perimeter for Curry.
Still, Golden State fans will undoubtedly be pleased that the rest of the roster was able to step up in Butler’s absence.
Buddy Hield Trolls Butler
With Butler ruled out due to injury, he made for a vocal presence on the bench throughout Saturday’s game. When asked about Butler’s words of wisdom during his postgame news conference, Buddy Hield joked that the former Miami Heat star’s advice was ‘terrible.’
“Robin was out tonight, so I had to step up,” Hield said. “Terrible. Terrible advice. I just tuned him out the whole time. Nah, he’s been good, he’s been positive, he’s been telling me how to read drives…He’s talking, encouraging everybody. Especially when Draymond Green got a tech, he was letting everyone know that was good for our team.”
Hield and Butler have made for a hilarious duo in recent months. Both stars seem to bounce off each other’s personalities, which has made for an entertaining subplot to the season.
Warriors Can Take Control of the Series
The Warriors have another home game before heading back out on the road. If they can make use of their hometown crowd to secure another win, they will be in complete control of the series.
Houston may be an impressive team, but they lack postseason experience. We’ve seen how savvy this Warriors roster can be when facing inexperienced opponents. As such, Steve Kerr will likely be instructing his team to chase a second-straight win.
A victory on Monday would ensure that the Warriors could close out their series in game five or potentially game six, which would be back at home in the Bay Area. And should the Warriors secure progression onto the Western Conference Semifinals, a matchup against either the Los Angeles Lakers or the Minnesota Timberwolves would await.
For now, though, winning on Monday and then closing out the series should be the only thing on Golden State’s mind, especially if Steph Curry can sustain his current level of play.