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Butler's agent hopes upset Heat fans exorcize anger in star's return
Butler's agent hopes upset Heat fans exorcize anger in star's return originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
One of Jimmy Butler’s closest confidants hopes disgruntled Heat fans can let bygones be bygones after the star forward’s return to Miami on Tuesday night.
Butler, now a member of the Warriors, will return to Kaseya Center for the first time since the blockbuster trade to Golden State on Feb. 5, and his agent, Bernie Lee, hopes the big matchup can help heal any resentment some Heat fans might have toward Butler after his rocky exit from the organization this season.
“My hope is Tuesday is cathartic for everyone,” Lee told the Miami Herald. “If you have some anger in your heart, get it out. Get it all out. But once that’s all released, my hope is we get to the next step, which is appreciation. Appreciation for a pretty incredible five years together.
“One unfortunate aspect of sports is the amount of change. Nothing ever stays the same and everything has a time limit. We hit ours, but once we get a bit of distance from the separation, what will hopefully remain is a really immense feeling of accomplishment and the profound connection Jimmy had with this city and community at large. He was the right person at the right time. And over time, I think more and more, we will all see and appreciate that.”
Lee found himself at the center of the Butler-Heat saga when he publicly refuted a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania about the then-Heat star preferring to be traded to either the Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks or Houston Rockets.
Alright listen. I gave you a pass yesterday because I was busy but if you don’t stop putting my name on your complete and utter made up bullshit because you know you normally arent worth my time to acknowledge.. (continued) https://t.co/1KOXza9kUI
— Bernard Lee (@BernieoLee) December 11, 2024
Butler eventually was dealt to Golden State (41-30), which has gone 16-4 since his debut with the Warriors on Feb. 8, and is surging toward an NBA playoff spot.
Meanwhile, the Heat (30-41) have gone 5-17 since trading Butler and are clinging on to the final NBA play-in tournament spot.
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Steph out for Warriors vs. Heat game with pelvic injury
Steph out for Warriors vs. Heat game with pelvic injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steph Curry will miss his second consecutive Warriors game as he continues to deal with a pelvic injury.
Curry, who was upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s contest against the Miami Heat, officially was ruled out of the team’s second game of a six-game road trip.
Steph Curry is now OUT tonight against the Heat @NBCSWarriors
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) March 25, 2025
Curry sustained the pelvic bruise when he took a hard fall to the ground during the second half of last week’s win over the Toronto Raptors. An MRI confirmed he sustained a pelvic contusion but avoided any structural damage.
He didn’t travel with the team to Atlanta for its first game of the road trip, in which the Warriors fell 124-115 to the Hawks and 7-4 while playing without their star point guard this season. Curry joined the Warriors in Miami where his status was upgraded before ultimately being ruled out.
Golden State (41-30) is in the midst of a pivotal six-game road trip as the Warriors cling to the Western Conference’s No. 6 playoff seed in a jam-packed postseason race. After Miami, they’ll face the New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers before returning home to battle the Denver Nuggets.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday the team expects Curry to play against the Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
In his 16th season, Curry is averaging 24.2 points on 44.7-percent shooting from the field and 39.4 percent from 3-point range, with 4.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists through 60 games.
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Watch Russell Westbrook move past Kevin Garnett into 20th all-time in points scored with logo 3-pointer
DENVER, CO - MARCH 24: Russell Westbrook (4) of the Denver Nuggets misses a three pointer as the Chicago Bulls lead 126-119 during the fourth quarter of the Bulls’ 129-119 win at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Monday, March 24, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Denver Post via Getty Images
Russell Westbrook has scored a lot of points in a lot of different ways over his Hall of Fame career, but the book on defending him remains the same: If he wants to shoot a 3-pointer, let him.
As he has throughout his 17-year career, Westbrook proved that book on him wrong on Monday night, hitting a logo 3-pointer that moved him past Kevin Garnett for 20th on the NBA All-Time scoring list.
A LOGO TRIPLE TO JOIN THE TOP-20 ON THE ALL-TIME SCORING LIST
— NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2025
Incredible moment for Russell Westbrook! https://t.co/gvwwk1WXPvpic.twitter.com/uY0XVg9fz8
Westbrook should move past Celtics legends John Havlicek and Paul Pierce on that list early next season.
Westbrook is a two-time NBA scoring champion as well as the 2017 NBA MVP, a nine-time All-NBA player and All-Star who has had a legendary career. His being in the top 20 in scoring all-time just seems fitting.
Jayson Tatum leaves game with sprained ankle, says later it's "sore" but left arena without boot
Mar 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) lays on the ground after suffering an injury against the Sacramento Kings in the third quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Hopefully, this will not be as bad as it looked when it happened.
Boston's Jayson Tatum had to leave the game in Sacramento in the third quarter after he pulled up for a 3-pointer over Domantas Sabonis and came down on the foot of the Kings' center, rolling his ankle. Sabonis' reckless closeout took away Tatum's landing space and he was given a Flagrant 1 foul for it.
Jayson Tatum went down in significant pain after this closeout by Domantas Sabonis.
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) March 25, 2025
Flagrant 1 on Sabonis. pic.twitter.com/Cnh0QfcQyo
Tatum left the game not to return but left the arena that night without a boot or crutches, telling ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne his ankle was “just sore.” Still, with just 10 games left in the Celtics' regular season and the team essentially locked into the No. 2 seed, there is no reason to push him to return. Expect Boston to be cautious with his return and Tatum to get some nights off to rest his ankle down the stretch of the season.
After the game, Sabonis apologized for the closeout and injury.
Domantas Sabonis feels "horrible" for the play that injured Jayson Tatum in tonight's game pic.twitter.com/nXyQYYpjt0
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 25, 2025
Boston went on to win the game comfortably, 113-95, and Tatum was still the leading scorer with 25 points, plus he dished out eight assists. Payton Pritchard had 22 points off the bench, and Kristaps Porzingis had 16 points and eight rebounds.
This was the Kings third loss in a row and they are now just half-a-game ahead of No. 10 seed Phoenix. Zach LaVine said after the game, "The vibe is not good."
Why Kerr anticipates ‘heated atmosphere' for Butler's Miami return
Why Kerr anticipates ‘heated atmosphere' for Butler's Miami return originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Jimmy Butler’s return to Miami might get a little … heated.
At least that’s what Warriors coach Steve Kerr anticipates for Golden State’s matchup against the Heat on Monday at Kaseya Center.
“I haven’t talked to him about it,” Kerr said Monday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs.” ” … Tomorrow will be a heated atmosphere, no pun intended. He was such an amazing player for this franchise and meant so much to the fans. I think it’ll be very emotional for him, for a lot of people.
“But Jimmy’s an incredible competitor. That’s the main thing I’ve learned about him. I know he’s going to go out there and compete like crazy and get through it fine. Hopefully, we can get back on track here.”
It will be Butler’s first trip to Miami since the blockbuster deal that brought the six-time NBA All-Star to Golden State at last month’s NBA trade deadline.
Despite Butler bringing the organization much success, including leading the team to the playoffs five times and two NBA Finals appearances, the last few months of his Heat tenure were filled with drama and nonstop headlines that led to his eventual departure.
Nonetheless, he’s made it clear that he has a lot of love for the fans and city — even from afar.
“We had a practice today and he’s been here the last couple of days,” Kerr said. “He’s got a lot of people here who he’s connecting with. I think he’s enjoying being back.”
At the end of the day, though, Butler is one of the most competitive guys in the league. And while he might be enjoying mingling and catching up with old friends, once tip-off begins at 4 p.m. PT Tuesday, his focus purely will be on basketball and getting a dub for the Warriors.
All eyes on Butler vs. Wiggins matchup in Warriors-Heat game
All eyes on Butler vs. Wiggins matchup in Warriors-Heat game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Programming Note: Watch “Warriors Now” with Dalton Johnson and Zena Keita at 1 p.m. PT today, streaming live on the NBC Sports app. Watch the show later on YouTube and Facebook.
Though Jimmy Butler III, in his second month with the Warriors after five years with the Heat, downplays the possibilities of getting emotional upon returning to Miami, his desire to win will be loud even if unheard.
On the other side is Andrew Wiggins, in his second month with the Heat after five years with the Warriors. He’s a low-key presence, easygoing and laconic. He speaks with his talent, his latest statement being a 42-point masterpiece on Sunday.
Butler and Wiggins will see plenty of each other partly because they were traded for each other last month but mostly because they will be playing the same position when the ball goes up Tuesday night at Kaseya Center. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 3:30 p.m. with Warriors Pregame Live, with tipoff scheduled for 4:30.
There is no doubt that each wants to pin a defeat on his former team, but Butler would seem to have the higher incentive.
The Warriors (41-30) are in sixth place, locked in a riveting battle for playoff position in the rigorous Western Conference. It’s cutthroat time for Golden State, which will spend the final three weeks of the regular season fighting to remain in the top six, thereby avoiding the dreaded Play-In Tournament.
The Heat (30-41) are 10th in the East, securely in the Play-In Tournament with practically zero chance of rising above it or tumbling below it.
Though Butler and Wiggins have very different personalities, they have in common an immense sense of pride. And it’s evident that Butler so far has done more for the Warriors than Wiggins has for the Heat.
Butler has played in 19 of 20 games for the Warriors since being acquired at the Feb. 6 trade deadline. His individual per-game numbers – 17.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals – don’t shout yet his positive impact has been both tangible and intangible. The Warriors are 16-4 since his arrival and their metrics have taken an appreciable leap.
Asked recently about Butler’s influence, Kerr immediately cited his intellect.
“IQ,” he said. “Basketball IQ, toughness, competitiveness. Those are the marks of great players. And when you happen to have that package in a body like his, with that kind of strength, it all makes sense. The game makes sense to Jimmy and when he’s on the floor that translates to other guys.”
Wiggins was having a solid season with Golden State but his time in Miami has been limited due to illness and a couple minor injuries. He has missed eight of 21 games and is averaging 21 points and 3.9 rebounds. The Heat is 5-16 since Wiggins arrived, but he was fantastic in successive games last weekend, scoring 72 points on 76.5-percent shooting from the field and 66.7 percent from deep.
Can Butler slow Wiggins’ sudden momentum? Can Wiggins keep Butler out of his comfort zone, aka the free throw line? The answers could dictate the outcome.
Kerr likens Warriors' Butler-Draymond duo to Jordan and Pippen
Kerr likens Warriors' Butler-Draymond duo to Jordan and Pippen originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
- Programming Note: Watch “Warriors Now” with Dalton Johnson and Zena Keita at 1 p.m. PT today, streaming live on the NBC Sports app. Watch the show later on YouTube and Facebook.
When discussing iconic NBA duos, there is one that stands out above the rest. Analysts and fans oftentimes use it as the most complementary comparison for two teammates, but rarely are any players worthy of it.
Warriors forwards Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, however, are worthy of it in coach Steve Kerr’s eyes.
Golden State’s coach spoke to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk for a recent story about the Butler and Green duo, and offered a high-profile comparison for the two Warriors teammates’ defensive acumen.
“[Scottie] Pippen and [Michael] Jordan,” Kerr told ESPN of his comparison for Butler and Green. “Just incredible intelligence and athleticism combined with versatility. There’s definitely some of that.”
Yes, you read that correctly.
Of course, Kerr is speaking about the duo’s defensive partnership, not their overall games. However, in terms of NBA comparisons, that’s about as good as it gets.
The Warriors are 16-4 overall since Butler first took the court for Golden State on Feb. 8, and his impact has been felt both offensively and defensively.
With the Warriors (41-30) hoping to make another championship run this season, Kerr certainly hopes the Butler-Green duo can have a familiar Jordan-Pippin-like impact in the NBA playoffs.