Jimmy Butler‘s postgame interview following the Golden State Warriors‘ 117-114 win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, March 20, was interrupted by teammate Buddy Hield.
“You all are talking about Jimmy? That fake [expletive] triple-double, he had today?” Hield was heard yelling in jest.
“Oh, come on. You don’t pass the ball enough to get a triple-double,” Butler snapped back eliciting laughter from the reporters. “So, I’m not even worried about you. Jeez!”
The light banter between the Warriors teammates only showed the level of chemistry and comfort with Butler since the blockbuster trade at the deadline. They have won 16 of Butler’s first 18 games since the trade deadline move to climb from 11th to sixth seed in the loaded Western Conference.
On Thursday night, Butler carried the Warriors on his back after Stephen Curry limped off with a pelvic injury late in the third quarter.
Curry exited at 3:24 remaining in the third quarter after a hard fall with the Warriors trailing the visiting Raptors 88-83. Butler immediately buckled down to work and scored nine of his 16 points after the incident to rally the Warriors.
Butler added 11 rebounds and 12 assists for his second triple-double in Warriors uniform.
Jimmy Butler: ‘I Can Do That Too’
Butler laced up his triple double with two steals and two blocks, the last one was the play of the game.
With the Warriors clinging to a 112-109 lead, Butler swatted Raptors star Scottie Barnes layup in the final 21 seconds.
Butler was seen with teammate Draymond Green having an animated exchange before celebrating following the game-saving block.
“I can do that too,” Butler revealed to reporters what he told Green his game-saving block. “Like I always say, I respect Draymond so much. I definitely respect him because he took 14 [3-pointers] tonight. I love that. He’ll do anything to make sure this squad gets a dub. Whatever you ask him to do, he’s willing to do that. So, I’m glad I can follow suit in that sometimes.”
Green, the 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, who is gunning for his second this season, tuned into an offensive machine in the first half. The veteran forward unloaded 18 of his team-high 21 points in the first two quarters. He shot 5-of-14 from the 3-point line.
Steph Curry’s Injury Scare
But the Warriors’ celebration quickly turned into worry with Curry’s injury.
“He hit that ground hard,” Green told reporters. “You could hear it. It was crazy. Obviously, a very scary moment for us and for him. Hopefully, he’s good.”
Fortunately for the Warriors, Curry did not suffer a serious injury.
“The MRI indicated that Curry suffered a pelvic contusion, but no structural damage,” the Warriors said in a statement released on Friday, March 21.
Curry, however, will sit out the Warriors’ road game in Atlanta on Saturday, March 22, and will be re-evaluated on Monday, March 24.
Fortunately again for the Warriors, they have Butler to caution the impact of Curry’s absence.
“Whether he’s with us or whether he’s not, hopefully he is,” Butler said of Curry. “But if he isn’t, that’s just more perfect basketball that we’re gonna have to play. We can’t afford to turn the ball over. We can’t afford to foul. Because we don’t have the one individual that can automatically get us back into the game. But we want our guy with us.”
