There was a line of thinking that Jimmy Butler didn’t put his foot on the gas in Golden State’s Game 2 loss to the Timberwolves because he was saving up his energy for Game 3 at home, when the Warriors were likely to have their best shot to steal the one win they need in this series to stay afloat until Stephen Curry can potentially get back.
Whether that was an actual plan or Butler was just being his frustratingly passive self in Game 2, it worked pretty much to perfection as Butler came out as aggressive as anyone has seen him in a Golden State uniform, putting 33 points on the board in Game 3.
It wasn’t enough. Minnesota, behind a monster second half from Anthony Edwards and another fantastic playoff showing from Julius Randle, pulled away late for a 102-97 win to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Anthony Edwards rescues Minnesota with clutch second half to escape with Game 3 win over shorthanded Warriors
Jasmyn Wimbish
For the Warriors, it makes Monday’s Game 4 an effective must win. If they go down 3-1 and have to go back to Minnesota for an elimination Game 5 — likely without Curry — the odds of them winning that game, let alone three straight to come back to win the series, will be along the lines of a three-legged horse in the Kentucky Derby.
Problem is, Butler expended a hell of a lot of energy in Game 3. That was a tank-emptier, and he was gassed by the end, as evidenced by his missing multiple layups and failing to score over the final eight minutes. When that dry spell hit, the Warriors, who are disastrously devoid of shot creation outside of Curry and Butler, had nowhere else to go — Jonathan Kuminga’s 30-point night notwithstanding.
Let’s stop here for a second on Kuminga. Dude was incredible. For a young player with this much talent to be yanked out of the rotation and then just pop back in with…
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