Jimmy Butler returned from a one-game absence because of an injury and made loud noises on the court for the Golden State Warriors Monday night.
Not one to back down from a challenge, Butler appeared to get some extra motivation against the Houston Rockets in Game 4 when he and Dillon Brooks got into it while Tari Eason was attempting a shot from the foul line in the second period.
Shortly after the Warriors narrowly escaped with a 109-106 victory at Chase Center in San Francisco over Houston, Butler was asked by TNT’s Allie LaForce about what motivated him to play through mental and physical challenges, as he looked visibly hurt in the fourth quarter after getting fouled by Brooks on a 3-point attempt.
“Somebody said something to me,” Butler responded. “That’s all it takes. Somebody’s gotta say something to me gets me going every single time.”
LaForce then assumed that Butler wouldn’t share with her what exactly triggered the six-time NBA All-Star, to which he replied: “No, no, no. Y’all, that mic suddenly needs to go. You can hear it. “
Butler came through for the Warriors when they needed him the most. The former Marquette Golden Eagles star scored nine of the Warriors’ last 12 points in regulation, going 2-for-3 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line in the final four minutes.
With under a minute left in the fourth quarter, Butler put Golden State in front by three points after nailing all three attempts from the foul line following the aforementioned shooting foul by Brooks.
It was also Butler who secured the crucial defensive rebound off Houston big man Alperen Sengun’s potential game-tying shot near the end of the contest before making both attempts from the charity stripe to give Golden State a three-point lead that the Rockets ultimately failed to overcome.
Up 3-1 in the series, the Warriors can book their tickets to the second round of the playoffs as soon as this coming Wednesday, when both teams head back to Houston for Game 5.
Related: Reggie Miller Had Three Words for Heated Jimmy Butler-Dillon Brooks Incident