Kerr saw shades of ‘Playoff Jimmy’ in Warriors’ win vs. Pistons originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors got a glimpse of the man, the myth and the legend they have heard about for quite some time.
It is no secret that Jimmy Butler has had a major impact on Golden State’s success since the NBA trade deadline, but in the 115-110 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday at Chase Center, the Warriors got their first glimpse at the version of Butler they hope can help propel them throughout the NBA playoffs.
“It was physical, it was testy, a lot of pushing and shoving,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of the game. “To win a game like that when clearly we were tired and trying to get our legs underneath us coming off that trip, it’s a big-time win.
“This is part of the Jimmy dynamic, he’s built for these kind of games. He just gets the ball and he’ll get us a shot and he’ll get to the line and he’ll take big shots. ‘Playoff Jimmy’ is a real thing, and in some ways that felt like a playoff game. The physicality, and it was kind of a rock fight, frankly. And guys like Jimmy really thrive in these type of games.”
Butler earned the ‘Playoff Jimmy’ nickname for his heroic efforts leading the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals during the 2023 playoffs in which he averaged 26.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game on 46.8-percent shooting from the field and 35.9 percent from 3-point range in 22 postseason games.
Kerr believes Butler (26 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST) played with a similar fire on Saturday night, and if the Warriors are able to punch their ticket to the playoffs, the veteran forward’s emergence would bode well for Golden State’s championship aspirations.
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