Stephen Curry was the headline act for the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, with the 2x MVP leading his team to victory with a scorching 12 threes and 52 points in a 134-125 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum.
Curry was simply stunning in a performance that included eight threes and 32 points in the first-half, while long-time teammate Draymond Green had a triple-double as the Warriors took the fifth-seed from the Grizzlies.
Jimmy Butler quietly had one of his best games for the Warriors on Tuesday
Curry may have been the biggest talking point from the nine-point win, but it was Jimmy Butler who was arguably more important in the fourth-quarter as the team's went back-and-forth until the final minutes.
As great as Curry was, the 2x MVP was only 2-of-8 from the floor and 1-of-5 from 3-point range in the fourth-quarter. Given the scores were tied entering the final period, a previous version of Golden State would have struggled to take out victory with those Curry numbers down the stretch.
That's why Butler is and has been such a perfect supplement to Curry's perimeter brilliance. While the 12 threes may have been the story of the night, it was Butler's ability to play inside and get to the free-throw line that was so important.
In a period where both teams started to cool off a little offensively, Butler's 10 points led all scorers in the final 12 minutes. Six of those came from the free-throw line, starting with what would have been and-1 after Butler was fouled by Santi Aldama, yet the 6x All-Star was adjudged to have grabbed the net which disallowed the basket.
After a slightly broken play on the next possession and with the Warriors up one, Butler smartly pump-faked and drew Jaren Jackson Jr.'s sixth personal foul which forced him to exit the game with nearly two minutes left.
That's the kind of high IQ, smart play we wouldn't have necessarily seen pre-Butler, and exactly why Golden State are a more trustworthy team in the clutch than what we've seen in the past. Butler had another pair of free-throws to further secure victory in the final 30 seconds, finishing a perfect 12-of-12 from the line as the Warriors crucially went a mind-boggling 28-of-28 as a team.
The former Miami Heat star finished with 27 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals -- his best scoring output in a Golden State jersey. While there were initial concerns over Butler's fit with the Warriors, Tuesday's game was another perfect example as to why he's such a good fit alongside Curry, and why rivals should be anxious coming up against a star duo with such proven playoff brilliance.