The Golden State Warriors will go to battle on Wednesday night in Game 5 without the services of Stephen Curry, who hasn't quite recovered from the hamstring injury that he sustained in Game 1 of their second-round matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors will be facing long odds in winning this game, as this elimination game will be on the road and they will be without their best player — which means that Jimmy Butler will have to channel his playoff alter-ego just so they can stave off elimination.
Butler, however, looked like a mere mortal in Game 4; coming off a heroic effort in the Warriors' heartbreaking Game 3 loss over the weekend, the 35-year-old star put up just 14 points on 5-9 shooting from the field, and he was clearly looking like he wasn't 100 percent from a health standpoint.
Not only was Butler continuing to deal with the hip injury he sustained in Round 1 against the Houston Rockets, he was also dealing with an illness in Game 4, as revealed by Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. Nonetheless, Kerr expects Butler to be at his best with the Dubs' season hanging in the balance.
“Jimmy was under the weather last night. He really was not feeling well and that definitely impacted him… Everyone knows who Jimmy is. He's one of the great playoff performers and I expect him to have a big game tomorrow,” Kerr said on the Willard & Dibs show, via 95.7 The Game on X (formerly Twitter).
For the Warriors to stand a chance on the road in Game 5, Butler will have to perform like he did in Game 3, when he scored 33 points and was aggressive in attacking the basket. He better stay away from anything that could cause him to be under the weather tomorrow night.
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Warriors' last stand depends on Jimmy Butler
The Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler back in February with the intention of tapping into his playoff version that's led undertalented Miami Heat teams all the way to the NBA Finals. Butler, however, despite giving it his all, has simply ran into some injury woes or an illness that's prevented him from building a rhythm of dominance.
Nonetheless, Butler alone will not be able to get the job done for the Warriors. Another big game from Jonathan Kuminga will be necessary for the Dubs to stay alive, while Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski have to be on point from beyond the arc as well. Perhaps Moses Moody will finally show up?
