After playing a supporting role in his first 16 games with the Golden State Warriors, Jimmy Butler finally unleashed the “Playoff Jimmy” persona he’s been known for with Stephen Curry taking the night off.
Butler picked up the slack as he led the Warriors to a 104-93 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, March 18, on the second night of a back-to-back slate and got back into the win column.
The six-time NBA All-Star scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half as he brought home the Warriors after the Bucks staged a third-quarter comeback to erase the home team’s 17-point first-half lead.
“I’ve been playing in this league for 14 some years now, so I can tell,” Butler told reporters after the win. “I know when I need to get my guys involved. I know when somebody has it going. I know when somebody needs to shoot the ball. And I think that’s my job out there, to get the ball where it needs to go. When I need to score, be able to do that. When I need to get to the free-throw line, be able to do that. Get some stops.
“Whatever the team asks me to do, that’s what I got to do. I think I’ve got a good feel of that because I’ve been doing it for a long time now.”
Jimmy Butler Back to Go-To-Guy Role
Butler came to the rescue, clustering eight straight points bridging the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter to transform a Bucks 76-75 lead into an 83-76 Warriors lead. Buddy Hield then added a 3-pointer to restore the Warriors’ double-digit point lead.
“You know, he’s been telling you guys, like, when it’s time, he’ll know,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Butler. “And he’ll do it. Tonight, it was time.”
Butler finished with a near triple-double as he pulled eight rebounds and dished out 10 assists. He was responsible for 23 of the Warriors’ last 29 points, either by scoring or making an assist.
“We ran every play through him down the stretch,” Kerr told reporters.
Draymond Green’s Defense Also Shines
Equally impressive was Draymond Green‘s stellar defense on Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Green held Antetokounmpo scoreless in seven field goal attempts as the primary defender, per NBA.com matchup tracking data. The former MVP was held to 20 points on miserable 5-of-16 shooting, his worst shooting performance over the past two seasons, according to ESPN.
Butler and Green were the Warriors’ 1-2 punch in Curry’s absence.
“Either one is worth the headline,” Kerr said of Butler and Green. “Draymond had defense tonight on Giannis. He was incredible to hold him to five field goals. Draymond showed why he’s still one of the great defenders in the world, and why he’s so important to winning games night after night. It wasn’t just the defense, it was the leadership, it was the energy …
“And Jimmy played the whole fourth and just took over the game.”
The Warriors improved to 15-2 with Butler in the lineup and 40-29 for the season. But more importantly, they gained a half-game separation from the Minnesota Timberwolves (40-30) for the sixth seed.
