Jimmy Butler warned us. When he said he found joy again after arriving in the Bay, he meant all of it — the grind of the playoffs, the fourth-quarter chaos, and yes, trolling his new teammate Buddy Hield whenever he gets the chance, per SI.

Following the Warriors' nail-biting 109-106 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 4, Butler had plenty of praise to go around — just not in the most traditional sense. Buddy Hield, who dropped 15 points in his first playoff start this postseason, earned some hilarious recognition from his teammate.

“I hate to give Buddy a compliment, so I’m not going to,” Butler joked to reporters. “But #7 on our team really brought the defensive mentality tonight and made some open shots.” Classic Butler.

Of course, it didn’t stop there. Butler took to Instagram and posted a four-photo carousel of Hield, captioning it: “felt nice might take down later.” It was a surprising twist after Butler’s last post following Game 3, which hilariously read: “thanks batman and team. excluding buddy.”

Inside jokes, real results

While the two guards keep the jokes flowing, the chemistry is translating to wins. Hield’s ability to stretch the floor has been crucial for a Warriors squad trying to find consistency beyond Steph Curry. Steve Kerr even chimed in after the game with a not-so-subtle dig dressed as a compliment.

Butler, meanwhile, is thriving in his role as the team’s emotional engine. He’s embraced being Curry’s “Robin” — but don’t expect him to hand Hield the title of Alfred anytime soon. “NO. Buddy is not in this… He’s the evil man,” Butler cracked, dismissing any narrative that puts Hield in a supporting sidekick role.

The Warriors now lead the series 3-1, but the job isn’t done. With Game 5 looming in Houston, Jimmy Butler and company will need to stay locked in. Alperen Sengun and the Rockets aren’t ready to fold just yet.