SI

Jimmy Butler Reluctantly Gave Buddy Hield Credit for Warriors Win

Tim Capurso

Butler and Hield amusingly continue to be each other's arch nemesis.
Butler and Hield amusingly continue to be each other's arch nemesis. / Screengrab Twitter @NBCSWarriors
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The Golden State Warriors continue to put on a show on and off the court. On the court, Golden State rode a first-half eruption from sharpshooter Buddy Hield and strong second halves from Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler to a series-clinching 103–89 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 7 of the first round series on Sunday. Off the court, the Warriors resemble a sitcom thanks to the antics between Butler and Hield.

Butler gets a kick out of giving Hield a hard time, so seeing the veteran guard score a game-high 33 points to help lead Golden State to victory put him in a tough spot.

Immediately after the game, Butler was not prepared to go so far as to give Hield credit, so he resorted to legal measures when asked if Hield's performance was praiseworthy.

When it was time for Butler's postgame press conference, Hield was ready. Butler had previously likened himself as Robin to Curry's Batman. Well, in Hield's eyes, he had supplanted Butler, whom he jokingly called Alfred in an amusing back-and-forth between the two while Butler was attempting to sit at the podium.

Then, even though you could tell how painful it was for him, Butler eventually gave Hield credit when asked about his performance.

"Buddy gets paid a lot of money to play at a high level. Buddy was Buddy tonight. Good for you Buddy," Butler deadpanned before getting serious. "No Buddy was huge. But we know the type of basketball player that he is. And he's a tough cover for sure whenever he's making shots. But he made so many right plays on the defensive side of the ball.

"Getting the ball where it needed to be. So Buddy was really, really, really big for us tonight."

Butler and Hield go together like orange juice and toothpaste, but the yin and yang dynamic is working just fine for the Warriors, who will advance to the conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Game 1 tips off on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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