SAN FRANCISCO – Jimmy Butler played the quintessential Jimmy Butler game against the Clippers on Tuesday night.
He meandered through the first 24 minutes, taking just six shots and rarely looking to attack his matchup. Then, in the second half, his motor revved high in a 98-79 victory that improved the Warriors to 4-1.
He was the driving force of a third-quarter run that saw the Warriors turn a three-point deficit into a 15-point advantage in 12 minutes. In the fourth quarter, Butler continued to dice up Los Angeles, his off-the-dribble bounce pass assist to Draymond Green pushing the lead to 20 with six minute left and forcing a timeout.
The Warriors outscored the Clippers 22-9 after Curry went to the bench late in the third quarter.
Butler finished the night with 21 points, surpassing the 16,000-point mark in a career that will see him eventually enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Butler also had five rebounds and the same number of assists.
Curry poured in 19 points in just 25 minutes, and Jonathan Kuminga scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds while defending the Clippers’ top two scorers. Quinten Post put up 12 points on four made 3-pointers and was plus-34 in 25 minutes. James Harden scored 20 and Kawhi Leonard put in 18 for the Clippers.
Harden did not score in the second half, and the Warriors held an opponent to under 100 points in a game for the first time all season.
The Warriors had lost their last seven against the Clippers, the most recent being a gutting 124-119 loss on the final day of last regular season that sent Golden State to the play-in.
The Warriors will play at Milwaukee on Thursday and then at Indianapolis on Saturday.
Miserable second quarter
Chase Center was rocking after Brandin Podziemski feathered in a layup after Draymond Green was able to corral a wayward Clipper pass.
That was the last fun moment of the first half for Golden State, who surrendered a 24-6 run to end the second quarter. Harden’s brilliance was only one part of the equation.
When Gary Payton II and Al Horford were on the floor, Golden State was outscored by 17 and 20, respectively in the first half. The offense ground to a standstill, and Horford was unable to control Zubac on the boards.
Third quarter adjustment
After said quarter, the Warriors shifted their defensive approach to guarding Harden. They threw two players at the crafty scorer every time he had the ball, forcing non-scorers such as Derrick Jones Jr. and Kris Dunn to try to make plays.
Draymond Green, of course, was a critical part of this tactic succeeding, as was Butler’s motor going at full blast after a quiet first half. Butler scored 10 in the frame, helping Golden State embark on a 10-2 run to end the third quarter even after Curry went to the bench.
The Warriors finished the third quarter leading 78-63.
Warriors start Post
Facing bruising seven-footer Ivica Zubac, the Warriors opted to send fellow giant Quinten Post out at the the five. With the Clippers having the 270-pounder dropping deep into the paint on every ball screen, Post had plenty of room to shoot.
And that is exactly what he did, splashing back-to-back triples in the screen-and-pop game during a nine-minute shift that saw the Warriors take a 27-12 lead. Post had also started the game in Portland.
He moved at light speed compared to Horford, who was playing in his first game since the win against Denver on Thursday. When the Warriors retook the lead in the third quarter, Post was the one on the floor with Green at power forward and Kuminga at small forward.
Aside from his scoring contributions, Post also grabbed eight rebounds and had a block.
Kuminga’s impact
Before tipoff, Kerr made sure there was no ambiguity about Kuminga’s role going forward. He told reporters that the fifth-year forward is the starter going forward, before praising his energy, rebounding and willingness to cut down on iffy midrange shots.
Tuesday night, it was more of the same for Kuminga, who was coming off a 25-point, 10-rebound outing against Memphis. Aside from his point totals, Kuminga also drew the assignment of defending Harden and Leonard.
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