Jimmy Butler Rediscovers His Joy in Warriors’ Thrilling Game 4 Victory

Just a few months ago, Jimmy Butler admitted to feeling lost in South Beach. His time with the Miami Heat had drained the passion from him, and he confessed he couldn’t find his joy. Fast forward nearly four months, and the narrative has changed dramatically. On Monday night, wearing a Golden State Warriors jersey, Butler delivered a performance that spoke louder than words: his joy is back—and so is his fire.

Following the Warriors’ nail-biting 109-106 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 4 of their heated playoff series, Butler stood alongside TNT’s Allie LaForce with a renewed sense of purpose. “It means the world,” he said. “I’ll die for these guys. For real. It’s so fun. I got my joy back, as some would say. But more than anything, it’s always good to win.”

After sitting out most of Game 2 and all of Game 3 due to a left pelvic contusion, Butler returned to the court with a vengeance. In 40 grueling minutes, he poured in 27 points on 7-of-12 shooting and a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line. His intensity escalated during an on-court altercation that fired him up. “Somebody said something to me,” Butler explained. “That’s all it takes.”

The Warriors leaned heavily on Butler’s passion and production to snatch a crucial win, and they’ll be counting on that same energy as they head to Houston for a potential series-clinching Game 5.