Jimmy Butler was back in action on Monday night for Game 4 of the Golden State Warriors' first-round series against the Houston Rockets, and did not seem to miss a beat.
Butler, who missed Game 3 due to a left pelvic contusion, delivered the goods for his team in the Dubs' 109-106 win at Chase Center in San Francisco to go up 3-1 in the series. He led the Warriors with 27 points while going a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line, including three crucial ones late in the contest.
Also stepping up for the Warriors in Game 4 was Buddy Hield, who came up with 15 points with three 3-pointers, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
So far in the first round, Butler is averaging 18.3 points on a 54.5 percent shooting from the field. Hield, on the other hand, had 32 points and shot 40.0 percent from deep in the last two games.
Those who have been following the Butler-infused Warriors know that the former Marquette Golden Eagles star loves having fun at the expense of Hield. It's all for fun, though. Which also makes Butler's postgame comments about Hield sound even more hilarious.
I hate to give Buddy a compliment, so I’m not going to,” Butler told media members during the postgame press conference (h/t Anthony Slate of The Athletic). “But #7 on our team really brought the defensive mentality tonight and made some open shots.”




While Butler sees himself as the Robin to Stephen Curry's Batman, he's not accepting the notion that Hield is the Alfred of the group.
“NO. Buddy is not in this… He’s the evil man,” the six-time NBA All-Star said (h/t 95.7 The Game).
Butler is clearly having fun with the Warriors, and his chemistry with his teammates on and off the field can be best defined by his relationship with Hield.
Still, the job is not done for the Warriors in the first round, as the Warriors need one more victory to send Houston home., The Rockets remain a big threat, especially with the upcoming Game 5 on Wednesday taking place at the Toyota Center in Houston, where Alperen Sengun and company will look to extend their season and keep their hopes of winning an NBA title in the 2024-25 NBA season alive.