Steve Kerr spoke with reporters on Sunday and admitted he pretty much has no choice.
The Warriors head coach wants to get Jimmy Butler more rest, but how can he? Stephen Curry is out, and Butler is the main offensive force Golden State has.
Kerr quickly clarified that rest isn’t Butler’s concern.
“He wants 48,” Kerr told reporters of Butler’s desire to play every minute of the game.
That’s one of the things that made Butler famous as “Playoff Jimmy” during his time with the Heat. He refused to come off the floor and found a way to will his team to victories.
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Butler was great on Saturday night despite a 102-97 loss. He finished with 33 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
The Warriors got a huge boost from the revitalized Jonathan Kuminga, who scored 30.
There were concerns that Butler and Kuminga would struggle to coexist on the court, but at least in Game 3, the Warriors couldn’t afford to take either guy off the floor.
Golden State is now down 2-1, and Curry is probably still two games away, at best.
The Warriors have pretty much no choice but to win Game 4 at home on Monday, or their season might end without ever getting Curry back.
You can pretty much count on Butler to play almost every minute of the most crucial game of Golden State’s season.
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