Jimmy Butler had just four made field-goals in the Golden State Warriors visit to Milwaukee on Monday, but the veteran's impact continues to be palpable following last week's blockbuster trade.
Following a stunning second-half turnaround against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, the Warriors moved to 2-0 with Butler after a comfortable 125-111 win over the Bucks at Fiserv Forum.
Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry were again spectacular for the Warriors
Golden State led for the majority of Monday's game, and while Milwaukee took a brief lead during the third period, the visitors steadied and provided a strong early fourth-quarter run to create double-digit separation.
Butler was once again central to that, getting to the free-throw line another 15 times after taking 13 attempts in his Warrior debut on Saturday. According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Butler's back-to-back 13+ free-throw attempts are the first time a Golden State player has done that since Kevin Durant in 2018.
The 6x All-Star stuffed the box score, finishing with 20 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals in just over 31 minutes. Butler's presence has also seemed to revitalize Stephen Curry, with the 2x MVP going 38 points on 12-of-24 shooting after 34 points against the Bulls.
Elite company.
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 11, 2025
Stephen Curry joins LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Karl Malone as the only players 36+ with 4 straight 30-point games. pic.twitter.com/V2RQiP86aw
With Giannis Antetokounmpo out due to a calf strain, Steve Kerr started small with Moses Moody in place of Quinten Post as Curry, Butler, Buddy Hield and Draymond Green rounded out the opening group.
Yet Post stayed focus after the demotion and was arguably the story of the fourth-quarter, drilling a series of 3-pointers as part of 11 points in just over five minutes to start the period. One of those was an audacious side-step three in transition, with the rookie big man finishing with 13 points and four rebounds in just 15 minutes off the bench.
Buddy Hield continues to round into some form with 16 points and seven rebounds, including 14 in the first-half as Golden State took a 58-51 lead to the main break. Moody also took advantage of the start with 13 points, three rebounds and three steals, while Brandin Podziemski had nine points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in 32 minutes off the bench.
The Warriors shot less than 29% from beyond the arc, yet were able to get to 125 points thanks to 37 free-throw attempts in another sign of Butler's impact. They also kept the Bucks to 30.3% from 3-point range, with Damian Lillard going for 38 points in a losing effort.
Golden State will now head to Texas for a road back-to-back against the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets before the All-Star break, having moved back above .500 with a 27-26 record after Monday's win.