On Saturday night, the Golden State Warriors beat the New York Knicks in a statement win by three points. On the same night, the Denver Nuggets fell to the Washington Wizards in a statement loss, with Jordan Poole hitting a deep 3 in the final seconds to give the Wizards a three-point lead.
For the Nuggets, who are title contenders, losing to the worst team in the entire NBA is deflating, and Nikola Jokic sounded off after the game.
"I think who you are in the regular season, that's who you are in the playoffs," said Jokic. "I think you cannot flip a switch, that doesn't really exist, that type of thing where you an just flip a switch."
As Denver tries to show that they can hang with the best teams in the league, losing to the Wizards on their own court is detrimental to the reputation they are trying to foster. The core of Jokic's argument is correct, but the Warriors have a player who is known for defying that expectation.
Jimmy Butler, known as "Playoff Jimmy" in the postseason, is known for putting his team, namely the Miami Heat, on his back when it matters most. He single-handedly led the underdog Heat to the Finals in 2020 and 2023, although they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers and Nuggets in both appearances.
In 2023, against Jokic, Butler averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.4 assists. Those numbers were in line with his season averages that campaign, further illustrating Jokic's point.
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While Butler was certainly not on Jokic's mind as he was reeling from a loss to the Wizards, the Warriors will host the Nuggets on Monday, and Butler might try to rise to the occasion and put on a show against his playoff rival.
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This story was originally published March 16, 2025 at 6:06 PM.