If the Golden State Warriors are to continue their quest for another NBA championship, they will have to win three games in a row in their Western Conference semifinal series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. That begins with taking Game 5 on Wednesday — without Stephen Curry.
Curry has been out since Game 1 with a hamstring strain, which has put lots of pressure on the rest of the team offensively. Without Curry, they have had lots of trouble generating good looks and easy scores.
A large part of the onus has thus fallen on Jimmy Butler, the six-time All-Star veteran forward they traded for in February. But in Game 4 on Monday, he seemed flat and had just 14 points on nine shot attempts.
Head coach Steve Kerr told the media that there was a big reason Butler didn't play up to his standards.
"Jimmy was under the weather last night," Kerr said, per 95.7 The Game. "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."
Butler's arrival was the proverbial defibrillator shock that the Warriors franchise badly needed at the time. They had been struggling to stay above .500, and their dynasty looked dead in the water.
He gave them the second legitimate star next to Curry that they had lacked ever since Klay Thompson suffered ACL and Achilles injuries a few years ago. But Curry is such a great player that they're missing a ton without him.
Apr 28, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) celebrates towards guard Stephen Curry (30) after a basket against the Houston Rockets during the first quarter of game four of the 2025 NBA Playoffs first round at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Apr 28, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) celebrates towards guard Stephen Curry (30) after a basket against the Houston Rockets during the first quarter of game four of the 2025 NBA Playoffs first round at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
In addition to being their primary scoring threat, he also led them in assists per game during the regular season, and he's an underrated penetrator and ball-handler as well.
He will not play in Game 5, which means Butler must shake off whatever ailed him on Monday and have a vintage performance.