Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr knows exactly the kind of impact Jimmy Butler has on the court, so much so that he kept the star forward in Monday night's Game 4 vs. the Houston Rockets for 40 minutes despite his pelvic contusion.
But in keeping with Butler's playoff prowess, the coach was rewarded for it—the Dubs edged out the Rockets 109-106, and Butler led his team with 27 points, plus five rebounds and six assists. Multiple Warriors were singing his praises after the game, including Kerr, who made clear after the fact that Golden State needed Butler last night and that he has no regrets about playing the injured forward as long as he did.
"We had to have him," the coach said postgame. "I mean, if this were the regular season, he'd probably miss another week or two, but it's the playoffs and he's Jimmy Butler. This is what he does."
Watch that full answer below:
To Kerr's point, Butler is known for coming alive in the playoffs. And on Monday, he did exactly that, just as Kerr had no doubt hoped. So yeah, the Warriors had to have him out there. (And Butler seemed pretty pumped to be there, too.)
Next up for Playoff Jimmy and Golden State—Game 5 on Wednesday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steve Kerr's Telling Admission About Jimmy Butler's Injury Adds to Playoff Lore.