Warriors Rumors

Pacific Notes: Post, Jackson, Kings Draft Workout, Frank, Redick

May 7th, 2025 at 9:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

Quinten Post went from a second-round rookie on a two-way contract to a regular contributor on a standard deal this season with Warriors. Post, who only played six minutes in the Game 1 win over Minnesota on Tuesday, is grateful for how his rookie campaign unfolded.

“It’s always a bunch of factors combined. Obviously, you need to have self-belief,” he told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “Even when I was in the G League, I had this belief in myself that this would work out. I had a lot of things that I did in the best of my career so far.

Then you just need an opportunity. They were struggling a little bit during the regular season. I’m very grateful because coach (Steve Kerr) let me play through some mistakes, especially early on. I definitely didn’t play perfect. It wasn’t like I came out and was a game changer at all. That wasn’t the case at all. But he let me play through some mistakes. Then I think Jimmy being traded to us also helped me out.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Bobby Jackson is returning to the Kings coaching staff as an assistant to Doug Christie, radio reporter Sean Cunningham tweets. Jackson, who has been on the Sixers‘ staff for the past two seasons, was previously the head coach of the NBA G League’s Stockton Kings for two seasons.
Missouri guard Tamar Bates, Florida center Rueben Chinyelu, Georgia guard Silas Demary, Villanova guard Wooga Poplar and Kentucky center Amari Williams were among the draft prospects who worked for the Kings on Monday, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee writes. Williams is ranked 59th on ESPN’s top-100 list. Demary transferred to UConn but is testing the draft waters.
Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank will focus on adding frontcourt help – especially at the center position – and younger players this offseason, according to Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “I think we need to add (players),” Frank said. “The West is a bear. It doesn’t get easier. It gets harder because each of these teams that either were playing or are currently playing – look at their top players, they are studs, they’re great players, some are in their prime, some are pre-primed, some are also comparable ages to our guys.”
Lakers coach J.J. Redick believes certain members of the team need to do a better job of conditioning and improving their stamina, according to Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. “I’ll start with the offseason and the work that’s required in an offseason to be in championship shape,” he said. “And we have a ways to go as a roster. And certainly, there are individuals that were in phenomenal shape. There’s certainly other ones that could have been in better shape. That’s where my mind goes immediately is we have to get in championship shape.”

Warriors Notes: Curry, Reserves, Butler, Hield, 2020 Draft

May 7th, 2025 at 8:01am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors‘ 99-88 Game 1 victory over the Timberwolves on Tuesday came at a big cost. Stephen Curry suffered a left hamstring strain in the second quarter and missed the second half.

“He’s obviously crushed,” coach Steve Kerr said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “But the guys picked him up and played a great game, and obviously we’re all concerned about Steph but it’s part of the game.”

Kerr doubts Curry, who will undergo an MRI today, can play in Game 2. Curry limped out of the arena and didn’t speak to the media.

“We don’t know yet,” Kerr said. “But with a hamstring, it’s hard to imagine that he would play Thursday.”

Forward Draymond Green is optimistic the team can hold its own until Curry returns, especially with another proven playoff performer in Jimmy Butler.

“Jimmy’s capable of carrying a team. He carried a team to the Finals twice. So we won’t panic,” Green said. “We will figure out what that means. We have the best coaching staff in the NBA. We know they’ll put us in a good spot and let us know what our offense looks like without Steph if we have to go on without him. We got full confidence in the guys that are on this team that we can make plays, can make shots.”

We have more on the Warriors:

Bench contributions from Pat Spencer, Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney helped the Warriors to overcome Curry’s absence, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. Thrust into backup point guard duties, Spencer had two steals, two rebounds and a pair of key baskets. Payton, sidelined in Game 7 of the first round by an illness, played a bench-high 26 minutes and supplied four assists, five rebounds and eight points. Looney secured two late offensive rebounds.
Butler and Buddy Hield dragged the Warriors to the finish line offensively. Butler finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and two steals, while Hield scored all but two of his 24 points after halftime. “I’m Batman today,” Hield quipped. “I saved the day.” Hield is in the first year of a four-year, $37.8MM contract.
The Timberwolves and Warriors had the top two picks in the 2020 draft — Minnesota got a star in Anthony Edwards, Golden State swung and missed with James Wiseman. Slater offers details on the developments leading up to that draft, reporting that the Warriors had conversations about trading out, trading back and even the trading up for Minnesota’s selection before ultimately deciding to retain the No. 2 pick.

Warriors Notes: Butler, Hield, Payton, Green

May 5th, 2025 at 9:49am CST by Luke Adams

Jimmy Butler helped the Warriors clinch a Game 7 victory and a second-round date with the Timberwolves, scoring 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting while also contributing eight rebounds and seven assists in Sunday’s 103-89 series-clinching victory over Houston.

Butler played just eight minutes in Game 2 due to a pelvic injury that also cost him Game 3, and he had a forgettable Game 5, with just eight points on 2-of-10 shooting in a one-sided loss. But his presence made a difference for the Warriors during the second half of the season and over the course of the first-round playoff series, prompting team owner Joe Lacob to express to Sam Amick of The Athletic on Sunday that he’s glad he signed off on the deadline deal for the star forward.

“Sometimes you get them right,” Lacob told Amick with a laugh. “That’s all I can say.”

Given the ugly way that Butler’s time in Miami ended, there were questions about whether it would make sense to give up multiple assets to acquire him and sacrifice major cap flexibility to sign him to a maximum-salary extension. But general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. insisted Butler was worth that risk and Lacob is happy he trusted his GM.

“Yeah, there were (concerns about Butler),” Lacob said. “But you do your analysis, you make your choices, and, yeah, it was a little bit of a risk. But we’ve got to take risks in this life. And he’s worth every freaking penny. That’s all I can say. He’s fantastic.”

Here’s more on the Warriors, one of eight NBA teams still in the hunt for a title:

While no Warrior had more rebounds (10) or assists (7) than Stephen Curry on Sunday, it was Buddy Hield who unexpectedly led the team in scoring, pouring in 33 points while matching an NBA record with nine three-pointers in a Game 7. A nine-year veteran, Hield played in the postseason for the first time in 2024, but didn’t see many minutes in Philadelphia’s first-round loss. As Marcus Thompson II writes for The Athletic, the veteran sharpshooter embraced the opportunity to play a larger role this time around. “I never been in this situation before,” Hield said. “Just trying to seize the moment. Relish the moment. Just be in the moment. … and enjoy the moment.”
After earning a start in Game 6, veteran guard Gary Payton II was unable to suit up for Game 7 on Sunday due to an illness, writes Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press. “He’s just sick as a dog,” Kerr said before the game. “Woke up ill and didn’t go to shootaround. Hasn’t eaten. No way (he) can play.” Although Payton played a regular rotation role during the series, Golden State struggled during his minutes — the team had a -17.7 net rating when he was on the court and a +8.2 mark when he wasn’t.
Draymond Green racked up four technical fouls and two flagrants in the Warriors’ seven-game series vs. Houston, but kept his emotions in check in Game 7 to help the team advance to round two, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “He’s the key to our team,” head coach Steve Kerr told Slater. “He’s the guy who can drive winning. But he can also drive losing, frankly. What makes him great is also his kryptonite. His emotion, his passion, his competitive fire. … When Draymond is centered and organized and poised and Steph is taking care of the ball, it’s so easy for the rest of the group just to follow and do their jobs.”
According to Kerr, Green “set the tone” ahead of Game 7 at a players-only meeting on Saturday, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Basically, he owned up to losing his poise in Game 6, and I agreed with him,” Kerr said after Sunday’s victory. “I thought the flagrant foul (in the first quarter of Game 6) was a tone-setter, and he knew it and so he talked to the group and said, ‘I got to be poised and I have to be better, and we’re going to come in here tomorrow and get it done.’ And I think his emotional stability tonight, just his poise from the start, set a great tone.”
Butler and Green will be public enemies number one and two in Minnesota during the conference semifinals, according to Jon Krawcznyski of The Athletic, who notes that Butler’s messy exit in 2018 and Green’s frequent criticisms of Rudy Gobert have earned the duo the ire of Timberwolves fans.

Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Udoka/Popovich, Zone Defense

May 4th, 2025 at 3:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Seasoned Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, who has seemingly been getting better in each successive playoff game against Golden State, is confident that his young teammates will be prepared for Game 7, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape.

VanVleet scored 29 points and handed out eight assists while leading Houston to a 115-107 Game 6 victory to knot the series at 3-3.

“We got so much talent just as long as they don’t get sidetracked,” VanVleet said. “Game 1 it was like, ‘Oh my God.’ And then Game 3 on the road was a little shaky. But other than that, they are so good. Just go out there and play your game. I just try to keep them calm and keep them focused on just playing the game. Don’t get worried about all the other stuff.”

The Rockets fell to a 3-1 hole against the lower-seeded, more experienced Warriors, but their youth, size, and athleticism has helped propel the team to consecutive victories. Now, the action shifts to Houston for a decisive Game 7.

There’s more out of Houston:

Longtime Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who retained his president title while stepping down as coach this week, gave his former assistant, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, some advice that helped him extend the Golden State series, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. Udoka had also played for Popovich on the Spurs, from 2007-09 and then again in 2010-11. While Udoka wasn’t willing to share the details, he said Popovich “gave me some pointers.” Houston is facing off against another Popovich disciple, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who played for him in San Antonio and was a Team USA assistant during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The Rockets’ intimidating zone defense is a big reason why they’ve managed to extend this Warriors series, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link). “It’s a weird zone,” reserve center Steven Adams said. “Yeah, I don’t know. It’s just like a bizarre one, but it works.” Per Lerner, Houston is employing a 2-3 zone attack. Two guards are positioned at the top of the floor, with frontcourt players handling the back line. VanVleet previously discussed the efficacy of the zone approach.
In case you missed it, Hoops Rumors’ Luke Adams recently ran a poll regarding the outcome of Game 7.

Warriors Notes: Butler, Lineup Changes, Looney, Kuminga, Game 7

May 3rd, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors missed two chances to close out their first-round series with the Rockets, but they remain confident going into Sunday’s Game 7, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Golden State was blown out in Game 5 and watched Houston pull away in the fourth quarter of Game 6, but there were no signs of panic in the locker room after Friday’s loss.

“We’re good. We’re smiling,” Jimmy Butler said. “We’re listening to our music, celebrating life. We’re ready to compete. We were ready to compete tonight. Things didn’t go our way. OK, we’re going to be ready to compete on Sunday. We’re going to make the game go our way.”

The Warriors believe their experience in high-stakes games will ultimately decide the series, Youngmisuk adds. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have a 3-2 record in seventh games during their time together, with the last one coming in 2023 when they won handily at Sacramento. Butler has been in four Game 7s, going 2-2.

Many of the Rockets’ core players are going through their first playoff experience, but Youngmisuk notes that they have some veterans who’ve been in this situation before. Jeff Green, Steven Adams, Fred VanVleet and Aaron Holiday have collectively been in 10 seventh games.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Steve Kerr made two changes to his starting lineup before Game 6 — replacing Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski with Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II — and he might consider revising it again on Sunday, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Slater explains that Golden State is trying to get Alperen Sengun involved in actions involving Curry, but the zones Houston has been employing are making it easier for Sengun to avoid that matchup. Slater suggests that Kevon Looney could see more time to battle against Adams after playing just two minutes on Friday.
Kerr said putting Jonathan Kuminga back into the rotation is “100 percent on the table” for Game 7 (Twitter video link from Slater). Kuminga has made just two appearances in the series, logging 26 minutes in a Game 2 loss and 17 minutes in a Game 3 win.
Butler dismissed concerns that the veteran Warriors are being worn down by a younger, more athletic opponent, per Ann Killion of The San Francisco Chronicle. “We’ll be all right,” Butler said. “I’m 35, I can’t remember how old Steph is (37), Dray is 35, too. Everybody’s got to travel the same distance. Ain’t like we’re going to go around the world and land in Houston and they got only a five-minute flight to Houston. They’ve got to travel just like we’ve got to travel.”

Poll: Who Will Win Rockets/Warriors Game 7?

May 3rd, 2025 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite going up against a No. 2 seed as a No. 7 team that required a play-in victory to clinch a playoff spot, the Warriors were considered by oddsmakers to be solid favorites in their first-round series against the Rockets.

In a competitive Western Conference, Golden State finished the regular season with only four fewer wins than Houston and was the better team after adding Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline, ranking third in the NBA in wins (23) and net rating (+9.2) between Butler’s debut and the end of the season. The Warriors also had a major edge in experience over the Rockets, whose young core would be playing in its first postseason series.

Through four games, it looked like the oddsmakers were right. The Warriors held a 3-1 series lead and had deployed their defense (ranked No. 1 in the NBA since Butler’s debut) to great effect, holding the Rockets to just 94.7 points per game in Houston’s three losses.

But the Rockets may have figured something out during the last two games, both of which they led from nearly start to finish. As the Warriors struggled to find five-man units they liked, subbing out starting guard Brandin Podziemski in Game 6 for Gary Payton II, Houston has found success with bigger lineups featuring center Steven Adams, who was a +30 in 48 minutes during those two victories.

And while it may not be sustainable, Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet has looked more like Stephen Curry than Curry himself in Games 5 and 6, knocking down 10-of-15 three-pointers (66.7%) and outscoring his Warriors counterpart by a 55-42 margin.

Jalen Green, Houston’s leading scorer during the season, still hasn’t found his groove in the playoffs — outside of his 38-point outburst in Game 2, he has averaged just 9.4 PPG on 30.2% shooting in the other five games. The Warriors also still have the experience advantage, as Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green are no strangers to Game 7 showdowns, whereas Rockets youngsters like Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith will be experiencing one for the first time.

But the Rockets have the momentum, they have the home-court advantage, and they’ve made Golden State look old and tired over the last couple games, as Marcus Thompson II writes for The Athletic. Curry continues to battle a thumb issue, while Butler is coming off a pelvic contusion. It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if the veteran Warriors bring their A-games on Sunday, but it’s also unclear how much they have left in the tank.

With all that in mind, it’s perhaps no surprise that oddsmakers are giving a slight edge to Houston — according to BetOnline.ag, the Rockets are 2.5-point favorites.

We want to know what you think. Will the Warriors hold off the young, upstart Rockets, or will Houston complete its comeback from a 3-1 deficit and set up a second-round matchup against Minnesota?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to make your predictions and share your thoughts!

Who will win Sunday's Game 7?

Houston Rockets 51.94% (509 votes)

Golden State Warriors 48.06% (471 votes)

Total Votes: 980

Rockets Notes: Thompson, Brooks, Curry, VanVleet, Green

May 1st, 2025 at 1:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Second-year swingman Amen Thompson was excellent in helping the Rockets stave off elimination on Wednesday, filling the stat sheet with 25 points, six rebounds, three assists, five steals and three blocks. Houston outscored Golden State by 32 points during Thompson’s 35 minutes. The 22-year-old became the first player since Charles Barkley in 1993 to record 25 points, five steals, and three blocks in a playoff game, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com.

In addition to his highly efficient offensive performance — he was 8-of-12 from the field and 8-of-9 from the foul line — Thompson slowed down Stephen Curry, limiting the two-time MVP to 13 points (on 4-of-12 shooting) and seven assists in 25 minutes.

“He took it personal, and that’s what we need from him every single night,” Dillon Brooks said. “As a defender, you have to take the matchup personal. He was reading Steph, reading a lot of the guys, staying in front, being disciplined on the defensive end without reaching.

“We need that Amen every single game because we’re going to go against guys like Steph again. That same mentality, that tenacity that he was playing with gives us a lot of energy, gives us a lot of extra possessions, and it makes their best player timid and think. That’s what we need: their best players to think, think, think the game instead of playing in the flow.”

Here’s more on the Rockets, who are now down 3-2 in their first-round series vs. Golden State:

Brooks also had a strong performance in Game 5, scoring an efficient 24 points and holding Jimmy Butler to just eight points on 2-of-10 shooting. After the game, he spoke to Kelly Iko of The Athletic about how playing against the Warriors multiple times over the years has helped him learn to maintain his composure. “My energy, my enthusiasm, my passion for the game can override and f–k up a game,” Brooks told The Athletic. “I learned that from years of playing in the playoffs and understanding where things went wrong. To win against these guys, you have to be composed at all times. The way they play is very helter-skelter. They’re going to make you play with passion — with Draymond (Green) and Steph (Curry) on that team. Me learning and playing against these guys a lot in my career, being composed is the way to go.”
Asked during his post-game press conference, whether he has been targeting Curry’s injured right thumb, Brooks didn’t deny it, Ron Kroichick writes for The Houston Chronicle. “I’m playing the game,” Brooks said. “Shoot, if you’re going to come play the game injured, whatever you’ve got, it’s all about the game. If I had an injured ankle, I would attack that ankle every single time. So whatever they’re saying on the broadcast, they can keep saying it.”
After struggling with his shot for the first three games of the series, veteran guard Fred VanVleet has caught fire over the past two, including scoring a game-high 26 points on Wednesday, notes Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle. For his part, VanVleet says he’s willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win. “I’m here to share and lead and quarterback and put guys in positions, but I still have to play at a high level if we’re going to be a good team,” said VanVleet. “I’ve been able to get back to that over the last couple of games. There’s so much going on and so much is new to this team and we’re playing so many young guys, this is their first experience. Their heads get to spinning a little bit at times. Just trying to calm them down and get them into good spots. If we play our brand of basketball at a high level, I feel good about us against anybody.”
Jalen Green bumped knees in the first quarter of Game 5, but he says he “should be good” to go for Friday’s Game 6, according to Reid Laymance of The Houston Chronicle.

Pacific Notes: Curry, Warriors, Suns, Harden

May 1st, 2025 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors star Stephen Curry, who injured his right thumb in January and re-injured it late in the regular season, has had that thumb wrapped during games and has been icing it after games, but he said following Wednesday’s loss to Houston that it’s not affecting how he plays, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

As Youngmisuk details, after a Golden State broadcaster suggested that Rockets defenders appear to be targeting Curry’s thumb when he shoots, Warriors players and head coach Steve Kerr were asked whether that’s something they’ve noticed. Kerr didn’t dispute that it’s happening, but pointed out that it’s not against the NBA’s rules.

“The rule is once the shot has been released, you’re allowed to hit a guy’s arm,” Kerr said. “And so what’s happened in the league this year is, players always are, they’re going to outsmart the rules. They know what they’re doing. So players all over the league are just taking shots at guys’ shooting hands after the release because they know it’s not going to be a foul. And I’m very confident that next year the league will fix it because it’s only a matter of time before somebody breaks a thumb or breaks a hand or whatever. But these are the rules.

“I do believe they’re allowed to call a flagrant if they want. The refs can call flagrant if a guy winds up and takes a shot. But no, it’s been happening across the league all year long. It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, but we have to take it through the league process to get that changed. … I know we got 30 coaches who all think it’s just idiotic that we allow this, so we’ll have to take it through the competition committee, all that stuff this summer and eventually we’ll get it fixed.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Trailing by 27 points at halftime on Wednesday, Kerr and forward Draymond Green decided during the break that the Warriors shouldn’t chase a comeback for more than about five minutes in the second half if they weren’t making up any ground, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. With 5:50 left in the third quarter and Houston still up by 29, Kerr pulled all of his starters and didn’t use them for the rest of the night. “I wasn’t going to chase this game with Game 6 coming up in 48 hours,” Kerr said. “Unless we made a huge run, we kind of had an idea that we’d pull the plug.” Golden State’s reserves eventually cut the deficit to 13 points with five minutes left in the fourth quarter, but Kerr opted against bringing back his first-stringers at that point. “When you make a move like that, the starters on the bench, you can’t go back to them,” he explained. “It’s not the right thing to do.”
The Suns are expected to announce changes to their front office either by the end of this week or early next week at the latest, says John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). It’s unclear exactly what those changes might look like, but NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link) hears that one option in play is promoting VP of player programming Brian Gregory to a more prominent position. Suns owner Mat Ishbia is a fan of Gregory, who has a “significant voice” in the team’s draft strategy, Stein adds.
With their season on the brink entering a do-or-die Game 6 vs. Denver, the Clippers will need more from their stars to force a Game 7, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Thursday’s game will be an especially big one for James Harden, who has been held to 13.0 points per game on .400/.250/.643 shooting in the Clippers’ past two losses and hasn’t spoken to the media after either game, Murray notes. Harden could become a free agent this summer if he declines a $36.3MM player option.

Pacific Notes: Redick, Reaves, Podziemski, Suns, Nash

April 30th, 2025 at 8:23am CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers coach J.J. Redick pushed back on the notion that the Lakers lost Game 4 of their series against Minnesota because he didn’t make any substitutions in the second half.

“Our two best players missed layups at the rim,” Redick said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I don’t think they missed layups because they were tired.”

Redick also gave his reasoning for the shorter rotation in conversations with his key reserves.

“I spoke to everyone (Monday) that would’ve potentially played in the second half,” Redick said. “They all understood it. There was no issue with that.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

At the brink of elimination, the Lakers must take a Game 7 mentality into the remainder of the series. Austin Reaves shared his thoughts on that subject with the Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike. “You gotta treat every possession as an individual thing that you gotta go attack,” he said. “And the more the game goes on, obviously when you get to the fourth quarter and it’s a close game, those plays matter more than the one did the first two minutes of the game. But if you go in with a mentality like that of every single play matters and you execute to the best of your ability, you’re never gonna be perfect, but you’ll give yourself a good opportunity to win.”
Brandin Podziemski‘s season turned for the better with the addition of Jimmy Butler. Warriors coach Steve Kerr explained why to The Athletic’s Sam Amick. “The thing with Brandin, we know he’s at his best when he’s a secondary play-maker, playing off the weak side (and) running through the catch, creating shots in the paint for himself and others,” Kerr said. “Once we got Jimmy, we were running a lot of offense through Jimmy, and that allowed Brandin to play on the other side. I think he’s at his best when he can do that.”
The Suns could have a number of assistants from playoff teams on their radar as their head coaching search continues. That’s why the process could drag on — they didn’t have to wait on Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer before hiring them, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic notes. Despite his longtime ties to the franchise and his head coaching experience, Steve Nash isn’t interested in the job, Marc Stein reports. Nash will be among the broadcasters for Amazon Prime next season.

Jimmy Butler Talks Pelvic Injury, Back-And-Forth With Brooks

April 29th, 2025 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing Game 3 of the Warriors‘ first-round series vs. Houston due to a pelvic contusion, Jimmy Butler was back on the floor for Game 4 on Monday and played a key role in Golden State’s narrow victory. Speaking to reporters after the game, the star forward admitted he was in “a lot of pain,” per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

“Did you see me on that chase-down of Dillon Brooks?” Butler asked Anthony Slater of The Athletic, referencing a second-quarter play when he had to sprint after Brooks to stop the Rockets forward from finishing an easy break-away layup (video link).

Butler got there and committed a foul to prevent the basket, but his mobility looked compromised and he wasn’t running full-speed, as he acknowledged after the game.

As Slater relays, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Butler would “probably miss another week or two” as a result of his injury if this were the regular season, which Butler didn’t dispute. “But it’s the playoffs and he’s Jimmy Butler,” Kerr said. “This is what he does.”

“He played through the injury,” teammate Draymond Green added, per Youngmisuk. “Was beautiful. But what his presence does for this team is humongous. The first three quarters, he couldn’t move. Not sure how he started moving in the fourth quarter, but he never complained. He stuck with it.”

Butler, who finished with a team-high 27 points, also recorded six assists and five rebounds while getting to the free throw line 12 times. He came up big defensively too, soaring in to grab a crucial rebound off a missed shot by Alperen Sengun that would’ve given the Rockets the lead with five seconds left in the game (video link).

As Green observed, Butler seemed to get better as the game progressed, scoring 14 of his points in the fourth quarter and not spending any team on the bench during that final frame.

“Your body starts to warm up. You start to feel a little bit better. You gain confidence,” Butler explained. “People start talking to you. Then good things happen.”

Asked whether his reference to “people talking” to him was about Brooks, Butler confirmed as much. When a reporter asked a follow-up question about whether he and Brooks were having “fun” going back and forth at each other, Butler made it clear that wasn’t how he viewed it.

“No, we’re not having fun,” Butler said (Twitter video link). “Get me on the record with this: I don’t like Dillon Brooks. We’re never having fun. I’m a fierce competitor. He’s a fierce competitor. There ain’t nothing fun about that. … I don’t think anybody is trying to be friends with anybody on either team, that’s for sure.”

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