SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Kerr consumes postgame content about his Golden State Warriors team. After their recent win over the New York Knicks, he saw Jimmy Butler’s soundbite that felt like a prediction about the added offensive aggression he’d deliver when the situation called.
“He’s been telling you guys when it’s time, he’ll do it,” Kerr said. “Tonight, it was time.”
Steph Curry missed Tuesday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Kerr and Rick Celebrini opted to rest an “exhausted” Curry after his worst game of the season in Monday’s loss to the Nuggets. Despite the condensed nature of the Western Conference standings, they could do that with extra confidence because of Butler’s presence and a belief he’d crank the offensive nozzle up without Curry.
“He’s our leader and we must protect him,” Butler said of Curry late Monday night.
The Warriors were most vulnerable against Milwaukee late in the third quarter. Their 14-point halftime lead had flipped into a six-point deficit. They had committed 10 turnovers in 12 minutes and been outscored by 20. The Bucks had every ounce of momentum.
The Warriors responded with a sudden 16-0 run over a 2:31 stretch, the final turning point of an eventual 104-93 win. Butler scored nine straight within that burst.
Here are seven of them. This is how a game flips in 50 seconds. Butler wiggles his way to three free throws, baiting AJ Green into clipping his leg on a desperation heave with 0.2 seconds left in the third quarter. He then opens the fourth quarter with a stepback, pump-fake, and-1 3-pointer from the same spot on Kevin Porter Jr.
Butler hit all four of the resulting free throws. He was 11 of 11 from the line on the night. Those were seven of his game-high 24 points. He also had 10 assists, dragging the Warriors over the finish line while Curry rested in a sweatsuit.
“Jimmy played the whole fourth and just took over the game,” Kerr said. “We ran every play through him down the stretch. That’s a big-time weapon to have.”
“I think that’s my job out there, to get the ball where it needs to go,” Butler said. “When I need to score, be able to do that. When I need to get to the free-throw line, be able to do that. Get some stops, that’s what I gotta do.”
Maybe the most important defensive play of the game, in Draymond Green’s estimation, came on the first possession. Green was given the Giannis Antetokounmpo assignment. He tracked him on the game’s opening drive and stuffed his layup under the rim, springing a fast break. He felt it set a tone.
Green finished with four blocks and two steals. He was the central figure in one of the Warriors’ better defensive efforts in what has been an excellent and extended teamwide defensive stretch. They are second in the league in defensive rating since Butler’s arrival.
The Bucks were held to 17 points in the second and fourth quarters. Green’s work containing Antetokounmpo was the largest factor. Antetokounmpo went 5 of 16, his worst shooting night of the season. That included sequences like the one below, where Green shows on a Damian Lillard high screen and recovers in time to wipe away an Antetokounmpo drive.
https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2025/03/19031820/drayG2.mp4
The Warriors sealed the win late in the fourth with two Brandin Podziemski 3s. Podziemski missed the previous five games with a minor back issue, but returned at a fortunate time to step into Curry’s vacant point guard spot. He had 17 points and closed, providing needed punch, especially on a night that Jonathan Kuminga (2 of 10 shooting) struggled with his rhythm and paint finishing.
The win bumped the Warriors back a half-game up on Minnesota for the No. 6 seed and has them within three of the fifth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. They will be in Memphis on this upcoming road trip with a chance to beat them head-to-head and clinch the standings tiebreaker.
But Tuesday night was about the Warriors’ increased ability to survive without Curry on the floor because of Butler’s arrival and Green’s rejuvenated defensive effort. Part of the postgame story was about Green’s darkhorse Defensive Player of the Year campaign, which is considered wide open after Victor Wembanyama went down with a season-ending health issue.
“I don’t see any players completely throwing off an entire team’s offense the way I do,” Green said. “Especially with Wemby going down. It seemed like he had it won. Now it’s right there. One million percent I have a case, and I’ll continue to build that case.”
Draymond Green on DPOY: “I want another one.”
“Especially with Wemby going down. It seemed like he had it won. Now it’s right there.”
“One million percent I have a case and I’ll continue to build that case.” pic.twitter.com/Xzww4H8etz
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 19, 2025
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(Photo of Jimmy Butler: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
