Latest news with #PlayoffJimmy
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Flagg pulling an ELI? 'Playoff Jimmy' a MYTH? + Game 7 preview!
KOC is joined by Tom Haberstroh on this INSANE edition of The Kevin O'Connor Show. The guys both think it's well within the realm of possibilities that COOPER FLAGG could pull an Eli Manning, and demand his way to the Boston Celtics. Kevin has sources that told him Flagg met with the Celtics at the Draft Combine in Chicago! Plus KOC absolutely destroys "Playoff Jimmy" Butler, and explains why Golden State is in trouble for years to come. And of course, the guys preview Sunday's Game 7 between the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder, plus Tom and Kevin on why the Boston Celtics are still VERY MUCH ALIVE vs the New York Knicks. Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) (0:53) Nuggets force Game 7 vs. Thunder Advertisement (14:26) Wolves advance to Western Conference Finals (20:05) Is 'Playoff Jimmy' a myth? (28:34) What's next for the Warriors? (36:46) Celtics vs. Knicks Game 6 preview (42:15) Boston interviews Cooper Flagg at NBA Draft Combine 🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What we learned Brandin Podziemski scores 28 in Warriors' season-ending loss
What we learned Brandin Podziemski scores 28 in Warriors' season-ending loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area The Warriors have never been swept in a playoff series with Steve Kerr as their head coach. For the first time ever, though, they lost four consecutive playoff games under him after dropping Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, 121-110, against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night at the Target Center. Advertisement Steph Curry, because of a strained left hamstring, missed all four losses. The Warriors were 4-1 against the Timberwolves with Curry this season, and 0-5 without him. To keep the season alive and the remaining hopes of Curry getting another crack at this, the Warriors needed a miracle. They instead laid an egg. When the Warriors cut the lead to nine points in the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves immediately pushed it to 14 and always had an answer. Brandin Podziemski finished on a high note with his one strong game of the conference semifinals. The second-year pro was far and away the Warriors' best player, scoring a team-high 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting, and had six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Advertisement But the Warriors sans Curry was supposed to be about Butler, the co-star they acquired at the trade deadline. For the second straight game, Butler did live up to his Playoff Jimmy moniker one bit. Butler only took 11 shots and made four on his way to 17 points, nine of which came at the free-throw line. Butler led the Warriors in rebounds (six), assists (six) and steals (three), but was a game-worst minus-17. The two best players in the series were Timberwolves stars Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. The duo outplayed Butler and Draymond Green. To cap it off, Randle scored a game-high 29 points, and Edwards had a 22-point, 12-assist double-double. Minnesota's offense found a lot of comfort in Golden State's defense the past few games, and sliced the Warriors like melted butter to end their season. Whether it was inside the paint or behind the 3-point line, the Timberwolves like their looks. The Timberwolves shot 62.8 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three, far better than the Warriors' final shooting numbers of 43.3 percent overall and 28.2 on 3-pointers. Advertisement Here are three takeaways from the Warriors' season-ending loss. Butler's Bad Ending The Butler who did his best Batman impression in Game 3 was nowhere to be found in Game 4. Everybody was looking for Butler to be far more aggressive in Game 5 after battling an illness and being held to 14 points on a lowly nine shot attempts Monday night. Then he took just one shot in the first quarter and was a minus-11. Butler began forcing his way to the free-throw line and scored six points in the second quarter, bringing him to eight points on five shot attempts and five free throw attempts. And he also was down to a game-low minus-19. Advertisement Butler never got going. He went into the fourth quarter as a minus-19 with 12 points on nine shots. He took 26 shots when he scored 33 points in Game 3, and then scored a total of 31 points on 20 shot attempts in the final two games of the season. He wasn't close to Batman, nor Robin, once again. Butler looked tired and helpless. Maybe his illness was that big of a factor. Maybe his pelvic contusion still is bothering him more than we know. Maybe this is who Butler is at 35 when he doesn't have a Curry to play next to. Kuminga's Up-And-Down Finish Leaping over Randle, Jonathan Kuminga swallowed a rebound off a Jaden McDaniels missed shot, ran the floor and threw down a hammer dunk on the other side in the first quarter. That sequence right there is what the Warriors always envisioned, combining athleticism and true impact on the court. Kuminga, for the fourth straight game, was aggressive the moment he came off the bench. In his first stint, Kuminga played eight first-quarter minutes and scored nine points on seven shots. He was beating his man to the basket, nailed a three and had words for both Naz Reid and the Timberwolves crowd. Advertisement As the Timberwolves had three players at halftime in double figures, led by 15 points by Randle, Kumiga was the lone Warrior in the club with 11 points. That rebound in the first quarter that led to a dunk also was his only board at the time. Though he was up to 19 points, he still only had that one rebound to his name entering the fourth quarter, which is two fewer than how many he finished with on a night where he didn't have one assist. Kuminga tallied 26 points off the bench of 11-of-23 shooting, and in the four games without Curry, again showed he can put up points, but again, his weaknesses were exposed. The Steph Effect Simply said, the numbers don't lie. The Warriors could have been contenders if Curry remained healthy. They're not even pretenders without him, they're an afterthought. Advertisement It was astounding to be reminded how much Curry shifts the entire court. Curry, at 37 years old and in Year 16, completely changes an offense, as well as the mindset of the other team. As general manager Mike Dunleavy assesses his roster this offseason, the lack of scoring and shooting will have to be noted. The Warriors, in their four losses against the Timberwolves, shot 31.9 percent on threes, going 38 of 119. The Timberwolves made 41.9 percent of their threes in that span, making 58 and taking 136. Podziemski's performance was too little, too late. His shooting in the first four games was historically bad. It's great to end strong, but the Warriors needed more earlier. Buddy Hield had a combined nine turnovers (four) and fouls (five) while scoring eight points in 30 minutes. The historically strong 3-point shooter missed all four attempts and was 2 of 9 from the field. Moses Moody showed fight in the fourth quarter, but he and Quinten Post were mostly out of the rotation in the most important games. Advertisement It's the Steph Effect, and it's a reality check. The Warriors made the big move. They still also live and die by one player. Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jimmy Butler Sounds Off on Point Total, Lack of Clutch Scoring in Game 3
The Golden State Warriors got the so-called "Playoff Jimmy" version of Jimmy Butler for roughly three and a half quarters of Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday night, May 10, at Chase Center -- and it was almost enough to earn them a victory and a 2-1 series lead in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. Butler finished the evening with 33 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, leading the team in the absence of Stephen Curry, who missed his second consecutive outing with a hamstring strain he suffered in the second quarter of Game 1 in Minneapolis. Advertisement However, Butler scored just seven points in the final eight minutes of the contest -- which seems like a reasonable amount until one examines the context. Four of Butler's points down the stretch came in the final 43 seconds, at which point Minnesota essentially had the win wrapped up. Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III.© David Gonzales-Imagn Images As such, the more appropriate way to view Butler's offensive production over the final two-thirds of the game's final quarter is to say that he scored just three points between hitting a jump shot with 8:13 left in the contest and garbage time. That said, Butler still exceeded his playoff average through the first nine games of this postseason by 15 points and was the primary reason, alongside a revitalized Jonathan Kuminga, that Golden State had a lead in the fourth quarter and a reasonable chance to win the game in its final minutes. Advertisement Butler spoke about his scoring output, and how little it actually means to him following a loss, during his postgame interview. "I don't care how many shots I shoot. I don't care how many points I score," Butler said, per KNBR. "If it's not toward winning, none of that ever matters. Twenty-six shots, 36 shots -- next time it has to be in a win." Golden State opened as 5.5-point underdogs to win Sunday at Chase Center, per ESPN BET. Related: Jimmy Butler Issues Declaration on Warriors' Chances to Even Series Absent Steph Curry
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Jimmy Butler shares candid thoughts on living up to his nickname after losing Game 2 to Minnesota Timberwolves
Golden State Warriors ' Jimmy Butler spoke to reporters after Game 2 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves . In the postgame presser, he was asked if he felt burdened by the nickname ' Playoff Jimmy ' given to him. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He projected his confident and chilled-out side and shared how he devises his game plan, keeping all the expectations aside. Jimmy Butler shared how he manages to live up to his nickname 'Playoff Jimmy' Jimmy Butler attended the postgame presser after losing Game 2 of Round 2 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He shared that he was not bogged down ever by the nickname 'Playoff Jimmy' given to him and believed that he could provide his teammates comfort when needed by playing basketball the right way. The Golden State Warriors faced various challenges with Stephen Curry missing the action due to a hamstring injury. Commenting on the expectations that his nickname 'Playoff Jimmy' draws, he said: 'I don't have a burden or expectation. I don't. I play basketball the right way. I will continue to play basketball the right way. If that time comes where your people that are saying whatever, [I'm] supposed to score 40 or 43, whatever the case may be, I'm capable of it.' He continued, saying, "I can do it, but I love making sure that my guys are comfortable, passing the ball to them, taking the right shots at the right time. But we'll talk about it, if that may be needed. Who knows." Jimmy Butler had huge shoes of Stephen Curry to fill in, and his reputation as a master of the playoffs made him the center of attention. However, all the attention did not waver his focus, and he showed the same by pitching in honest efforts in Game 2. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Recapping Jimmy Butler's performance in Game 2 of Round 2 against Minnesota Timberwolves Jimmy Butler's performance lacked the edge for which he is nicknamed 'Playoff Jimmy' in Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He gave the Warriors first points on a three, but after that he failed to create magic. Unlike his stature and previous performances in postseason, he seemed a bit unsure about making his shots against the Timberwolves and lost a few important opportunities to add to the team's score. Butler's overall performance featured 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, which didn't have anything extraordinary about it. Golden State Warriors vs Minnesota Timberwolves Full Game 2 Highlights - May 8, 2025 | NBA Playoffs Perhaps, Butler is yet to recover mentally from the pelvic injury and that showed in his defensive approach that highlighted most part of his game. His passive approach became the team's style too, and they could not put forth a good fight against the Timberwolves. Also Read: What do you think of Jimmy Butler's performance in Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves? Share in the comments.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Butler feels no burden to uphold ‘Playoff Jimmy' rep with Steph out
Butler feels no burden to uphold 'Playoff Jimmy' rep with Steph out originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area The pressure is on after the Warriors dropped Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday at Target Center, heading back to the Bay with the Western Conference semifinals tied at one game apiece. Advertisement But Jimmy Butler, who has earned the nickname 'Playoff Jimmy' thanks to his postseason prowess, isn't hitting the panic button — even with superstar and leading scorer Steph Curry sidelined by a hamstring injury. 'I don't have a burden or expectation,' Butler told reporters postgame of the scoring onus falling on him now. 'I don't. I play basketball the right way. I will continue to play basketball the right way. If that time comes where your people that are saying whatever, [I'm] supposed to score 40 or 43, whatever the case may be, I'm capable of it. 'I can do it, but I love making sure that my guys are comfortable, passing the ball to them, taking the right shots at the right time. But we'll talk about it, if that may be needed. Who knows.' Through 127 NBA playoff games, including eight with the Warriors (though he missed most of Game 2 before sitting out all of Game 3 against the Houston Rockets with a pelvic injury), Butler is averaging 21.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Advertisement But he reached legendary status with the Heat during the 2022 and 2023 NBA playoffs. Butler averaged 27.4 points per game across 17 contests before the Boston Celtics eliminated Miami in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Butler had four 40-plus point games that postseason and scored at least 30 points eight times. And in 2023, Butler's epic 56-point game in the first round highlighted the Heat's incredible run to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games. Butler averaged 26.9 points per game that postseason, scoring 30 or more points in five separate contests. Those certainly are Curry numbers, but Butler has yet to score more than 27 points during the Warriors' current playoff run. He's their second-leading scorer behind Curry (22.6) with 18.6 points per game, and the closest behind him is Buddy Hield at 12.5. Advertisement With Curry out at least a week, Golden State certainly would love 'Playoff Jimmy' to make an appearance as the team returns to Chase Center for Game 3 on Saturday. But Butler makes an impact through other means as well and isn't going to force it — he's going to keep playing basketball the way he knows how, and the points will come. Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast
