SAN FRANCISCO – If this were a regular-season game, Jimmy Butler wouldn’t have even been in the Golden State Warriors’ lineup.
Instead, he added another chapter to his already storied playoff legacy.
Far less than 100% healthy in his first game back from a pelvic injury, Butler made a storybook return to the Warriors lineup on Monday night. Not only did he lead the Warriors with 27 points in 40 minutes, but he was also perfect from the free-throw line and grabbed the game’s most crucial rebound.
It all helped Golden State secure a thrilling 109-106 win over the Rockets in Game 4 of their opening-round series at Chase Center.
“I think my favorite play was the last rebound,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said. “I looked up, I thought it was (Jonathan) Kuminga out there flying. It was Jimmy. That was my favorite play of all of them.”
With the Warriors leading by one, Rockets forward Alperen Sengun, defended by Green, drove the lane but missed an 11-foot turnaround shot. Butler then outhustled at least three Rockets players to the ball, grabbed the rebound with four seconds left in regulation time, and was fouled by Jabari Smith Jr.
After a raucous, sold-out crowd settled down, Butler calmly made both free throws to give the Warriors a three-point lead. Fred VanVleet’s ensuing 3-point try from 28 feet was off target, and Golden State, in another emotional and feisty game with the Rockets, took a 3-1 series lead.
“I saw that I wasn’t battling with Steven Adams the last play, so I was able to go up there and be a semi-athlete,” Butler said. “But I wanted that rebound. I told (Green), if you get a stop, I will get the rebound, and he got a stop.”
Butler also converted three free throws with 58.7 seconds left after he was fouled near the corner by antagonistic Rockets forward Dillon Brooks. For the game, Butler was 7-for-12 from the field and made all 12 free throw attempts, giving Golden State a chance to advance to the second round in Game 5 in Houston on Wednesday.
“They call him ‘Playoff Jimmy’ for a reason,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
Butler sat out Game 3 with a pelvic contusion and deep gluteal muscle bruise he sustained on a hard fall when he was fouled by Amen Thompson early in Game 2. Reports early Monday afternoon indicated the Butler would be back for Game 4, but Kerr would not confirm Butler’s return until after he went through warmups right before tip-off.
Butler started but was still clearly hobbled. But Butler would not be denied in the game’s most decisive moments.
“The first three quarters, he couldn’t move,” Green said. “Not sure how he started moving in the fourth quarter, first three quarters, he couldn’t move. Yet, he never complained. He stuck with it. And I think when it was the most important, when the time was right, everybody on our side looked at him.
“And when you get him the ball, he makes great things happen for himself or for others.”
The Warriors on Feb. 5 sent a protected 2025 first-round pick and four players — Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, and Lindy Waters III — to various destinations in the complicated, multi-team deal that brought Butler to the Bay from Miami. Golden State signed Butler to a two-year, $121 million contract extension through 2027.
That type of commitment from ownership was huge for Green and Steph Curry, as well as the Warriors’ fortunes. Starting with Butler’s first game with his new team on Feb. 8 after his acrimonious departure from South Florida, the Warriors went 23-8 following the trade and finished with a 48-34 record and the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
In the 30 regular-season games he played with the Warriors, Butler averaged 17.9 points and 5.9 assists.
Related Articles
Warriors win Game 4 over Rockets as Butler comes up big late in return
Warriors-Rockets scuffle: Draymond, Brooks, Curry T’d up during Game 4
Jimmy Butler injury update: Warriors star to play in Game 4 vs. Rockets
How to watch Warriors-Rockets Game 4
Warriors’ Steph Curry recognized as NBA’s best teammate
“His presence, No. 1, is huge,” Green said. “I’ve spoken about it over and over again, just the commitment that our ownership group and front office made to Jimmy, but not only to Jimmy, to Steph and (Kerr). We’ve been here for many years and still feeling like we have a chance, but we’re not quite there and need a little boost, and our ownership group made a two-year, $120 million commitment for us to get that boost.”
In his first 121 career playoff games, Butler averaged 21.2 points and 6.1 rebounds. Monday, in his 122nd playoff game, he had five rebounds, with the last one putting the Warriors on the verge of advancing.
“We had to have him,” Kerr said. “If this were the regular season, he’d probably miss another week or two. But it’s the playoffs. He’s Jimmy Butler, so … this is what he does. The rebound at the end was just incredible, the elevation, the force. Then, of course, knocking down the free throws to clinch it. Jimmy was just amazing.”