Jimmy Butler can’t shoot like Stephen Curry, dribble like Kyrie Irving, pass like Nikola Jokic or score at all three levels like Luka Doncic. But he’s got a superpower very few in NBA history possess: poise.
As we’ve seen in countless playoff games over the last decade, Butler rarely ever makes a mistake at the end of tight playoff games.
The Warriors learned that firsthand in their Game 4 win over the Rockets on Monday. Steve Kerr’s team committed six costly turnovers in the second quarter, which led to them being outscored 31-22. During that stretch, Butler was noticeably hobbled after missing Game 3 with an injury, attempting just one shot through 8:43 on the court.
In the second half, Butler put on his cape, scoring 23 of his 27 points to lead the Warriors to a 109-106 victory. His clutch shot-making aside, Butler collected the game-sealing rebound with 0.4 seconds left and proceeded to make both his free throws to ice the game.