Jimmy Butler scores 25 points in Warriors debut, helps lead 24-point comeback – NBA.Com
‘He’s a lion out there,’ coach Steve Kerr said after Butler contributes 25 points in his 1st game since joining Golden State at the trade deadline.Andrew Seligman | The Associated PressThe Warriors have an identity, but Jimmy Butler proves in his 1st game how he can add to it.• Get NBA League Pass TODAY
• 2024-25 Trade Tracker: Every official dealCHICAGO (AP) — Jimmy Butler drew the familiar “oohs” and “aahs” from the Chicago crowd when he cut backdoor for an alley-oop dunk in the opening minute.He had enough left to take over during Golden State’s decisive run with Stephen Curry on the sideline. If his debut with the Warriors is a sign of things to come, they sure will welcome it.Butler had 25 points and four assists in his first game since a trade-deadline deal from Miami following a messy split with the Heat, helping the Warriors beat the Bulls 132-111 on Saturday night.“He’s a lion out there,” coach Steve Kerr said.It was an emotional night for Butler.The six-time All-Star’s first game with his new team came exactly one year after the death of his father. He wore “Butler III” on the back of his jersey as a tribute to his dad and will continue to go by that “forever and ever.”Butler’s first game with the Warriors came in the city where he spent his first six seasons. On top of all that, he hadn’t played since Jan. 2. The Heat suspended him three times last month, and he said he lost his joy for the game.“I knew I was going somewhere, whether they were sending me to Flamengo down in Brazil,” he said, referring to the team in Brazil’s premier league that he has said he will join after his NBA career. “But I’m glad that it is here. I am grateful to be able to play basketball for a top organization like this one.”Now, Butler gets a fresh start. In some ways, so do the Warriors.Butler is looking for his first championship after leading Miami to two NBA Finals in six seasons. Golden State is trying to capture another one to go with the four titles it already has with Kerr, Curry and Draymond Green. The Warriors were 10th in the Western Conference at 26-26 following the win over Chicago.“We need each other,” Kerr said.The Warriors paid a big price for Butler, sending Andrew Wiggins to Miami as part of the five-team trade and signing their new star to a two-year, $113 million contract extension. But they see it as a worthwhile investment.Butler hasn’t practiced with the Warriors. He didn’t participate in the morning shootaround, either, because some of the players involved in the trade had not passed their physicals.Butler and the Warriors will need time to get used to each other. Kerr kept things simple for their first game together, giving him about three plays, but he showed his usual explosiveness, even if he was exhausted.Butler had enough left to take over during a decisive 16-1 run that started late in the third. He scored the first seven points in the fourth, starting with a three-point play off an alley-oop dunk, with Curry on the sideline.“The game is very, very simple here, and they make it so easy for me,” Butler said.Golden State gets a superstar to pair with Steph and Draymond in its quest to win now, while Miami clears a major distraction.The deal was scrapped ‘due to failure to satisfy a condition of the trade,’ the Lakers announced in a brief statement.The trade deadline dust has settled. How will the barrage of moves shape the rest of the 2024-25 season?Recap all the reported deals and transactions as the trade deadline period officially closes.Golden State gets a superstar to pair with Steph and Draymond in its quest to win now, while Miami clears a major distraction.The deal was scrapped ‘due to failure to satisfy a condition of the trade,’ the Lakers announced in a brief statement.The trade deadline dust has settled. How will the barrage of moves shape the rest of the 2024-25 season?Recap all the reported deals and transactions as the trade deadline period officially closes.Davis will reportedly be sidelined for a significant amount of time following a non-contact injury suffered in his Mavs debut.The 2022-23 MVP wasn’t as definitive about it when talking to reporters, but indicated offseason surgery could be a possibility.The 91-year-old former coach calls his last game Sunday after 35 seasons behind the mic, including 18 NBA Finals. Antetokounmpo, who is dealing with a left calf strain, will miss the next two games for the Bucks as well as the All-Star Game.Catch up on the days NBA action with highlights, analysis and final scores.One week after being traded to Dallas, Anthony Davis put on an impressive showing in his 1st game at American Airlines Center.
Source: https://www.nba.com/news/jimmy-butler-warriors-debut
