Jimmy Butler vs. Heat is chance for Warriors star to add to revenge-game history

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Sadly, we begin the day with unhealthy information. USC star JuJu Watkins tore her ACL in final night time’s match win. This positively stinks, and we want one of many greatest faculty stars a full restoration.

Jimmy Butler’s Revenge

Return to Miami, new chapter about successful

Tonight, Jimmy Butler is again in Miami to tackle his most up-to-date ex. The Warmth (30-41) have been left within the rubble since Butler demanded a commerce and obtained his want previous to the Feb. 6 deadline. The Warriors, who traded for Butler, have soared since buying the five-time All-NBA participant. They had been 25-26 earlier than the commerce and at the moment are 16-4 since buying Butler.

The Warmth have fully fallen aside since Butler first began getting suspended by Miami for conduct detrimental to the group (the commerce request, primarily). Miami was 17-15 when the primary suspension was levied and are 13-26 since. The Warmth are simply 5-17 for the reason that commerce deadline and have misplaced 10 of their final 11 video games. It was an unsightly breakup between the group and Butler, as was the case with Butler when he discovered his means out of Minnesota.

Anthony Slater sat down with Butler forward of his return to Miami to debate life within the six weeks for the reason that Warriors commerce and the place Butler and the group are. That is what Jimmy needed to say about his departure and the picture of his exit:

“So that you might be mad. You possibly can paint an image that isn’t fully true. I don’t even have to get into that. They know what they’re doing. You bought to color someone to be the unhealthy man. I’ll take being a foul man. Makes no distinction. I’m right here now. I’m competing at a excessive stage, and I’m serving to the Golden State Warriors win. They need me right here. Hell, I’m cool with being a foul man over there.”

Animosity remains to be held by loads of Wolves followers towards Butler to this present day, and that breakup was almost seven years in the past. This Miami factor could be very contemporary, and it’ll be attention-grabbing to see how the Miami crowd reacts to Butler all through the night time. Butler has an attention-grabbing historical past of “revenge video games” when he visits the town he simply departed.

Revenge sport in Chicago: Feb. 9, 2018

This was a double-revenge sport as a result of Zach LaVine was traded for Butler, and going in opposition to the Wolves (the place he began his profession). Butler had 38 factors, seven rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals whereas being plus-seven, however LaVine’s 35 factors and three clutch free throws had been an excessive amount of. Butler missed a desperation 3-point try on the buzzer because the Wolves misplaced, 114-113.

Revenge sport in Minnesota: March 30, 2019

Butler had simply 12 factors on 5-of-17 capturing with 13 rebounds and 5 assists, but it surely was sufficient to ship the Wolves house with a 118-109 loss.

Revenge sport in Philadelphia: Nov. 23, 2019

The Warmth obtained smacked. They misplaced 113-86, and Butler had simply 11 factors, 5 rebounds, three assists and two steals in half-hour. Josh Richardson (who was a part of the Butler sign-and-trade) had 32 factors for Philly.

Probably the most vitriolic instance got here in opposition to the Wolves, and he’s had some eventful matchups in opposition to them. But when historical past is to repeat itself, it could be smart to assume Andrew Wiggins has a giant sport in opposition to the Warriors in tonight’s sport. Butler will in all probability get a combined response from the gang. The ending in Miami was ugly as a result of, as we’ve mentioned right here many instances, that’s the way you get commerce calls for to work in your favor. It’s a must to discover consolation within the discomfort, which Butler definitely did. He additionally led the Warmth to success no person thought potential by steering two journeys to the NBA Finals (2020, 2023). Some individuals shall be booing, and some individuals shall be yelling, “Boo-utler!”

The Final 24

Ten-time All-Star returns to Mavericks

🏀 Off the injured checklist! Anthony Davis was out for six weeks after his nice debut, however he’s again for Dallas.

🏀 Wonderful end to return? My favourite race within the West entails avoiding the Play-In. Three groups are going for sixth.

🏀 Holding their breath. The Clippers are hoping James Harden is OK.

✍️ Feeling slighted? Giannis Antetokounmpo opened up about being ignored for MVP, the Bucks’ struggles and extra.

🎧 Detroit’s enchancment. NBA Each day discusses how the Pistons have turned issues round after final season’s low level.

📺 Don’t miss this sport tonight. Warriors at Warmth, 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT. Duh. It’s our lead story right this moment!

📺 League Cross gem. Cavaliers (57-14) at Path Blazers (32-40), 10 p.m. ET on League Cross (get it right here). Cleveland isn’t going through Utah (16-56). We’ll see if the Cavs are literally again on monitor.

Inflation, Amirite!

Do doubtlessly inflated information damage groups?

I’m all the time fascinated by the construction of group information. I don’t merely wonder if they’re successful their video games at house or on the highway. Are they successful video games within the clutch? Are these shut wins or blowout victories? I additionally marvel in regards to the high quality of wins we see from groups and the way it doubtlessly inflates their place within the convention. Finally, a win is a win, and also you’re alleged to beat the unhealthy groups if you happen to’re a superb group.

Nevertheless, what does it say about you if you happen to’re dropping to the nice groups and beating the unhealthy ones? Are you able to make a deep playoff run with that form of a portfolio? I made a decision to see which groups may need inflated information and if which means something on this period of parity (2018-19 by final season). We mainly have a look at the cross-section of groups who win in opposition to non-losing groups (.500 or higher) and dropping groups (worse than .500 information).

There are at present solely seven groups which have .500 or higher information in opposition to each non-losing and dropping groups. The Thunder (25-8 | 34-4), Cavaliers (23-7 | 34-7), Celtics (21-11 | 32-8), Rockets (19-15 | 27-11), Lakers (16-15 | 27-13), Pacers (16-13 | 26-16) and Warriors (17-17 | 24-13) are the one groups within the combine for that upper-right quadrant.

Within the hunt, now we have six groups with doubtlessly inflated information on account of beating up on unhealthy opponents and never having success in opposition to the nice ones. The Nuggets (13-18 | 32-10), Knicks (11-17 | 33-9), Grizzlies (11-19 | 32-9), Timberwolves (14-20 | 27-12), Bucks (11-18 | 29-13) and Clippers (13-21 | 27-10) are on this group. We’re excusing the Pistons (9-20 | 31-12) as a result of they received 14 video games final season. Progress is progress.

Is that this a giant deal? Does it matter if you happen to’ve overwhelmed up on the unhealthy groups and struggled in opposition to the nice groups? Or no less than the non-losing groups, we must always say? Because the 2018-19 season, we’ve had a brand new champion each single yr. I regarded on the file audits of the 24 convention finalists from these six postseasons.

Solely the 2021 Hawks (15-21 | 26-10), 2023 Lakers (21-27 | 22-12) and 2024 Mavericks (25-27 | 25-5) had dropping information in opposition to non-losing groups and made the convention finals. Of these three groups, the Mavs had been the one group to make the NBA Finals, however additionally they made main offers on the commerce deadline (I do know, too quickly) to vary the fortunes of their season. That doesn’t completely bode effectively for the Nuggets, Knicks, Grizzlies, Wolves, Bucks and Clippers this season.

Of the six champions within the final six years, solely the 2023 Nuggets (29-18) and 2024 Celtics (34-15) had been dominant in opposition to good groups. The opposite 4 champions had been two-to-six video games over .500 in opposition to them. Does any of this truly imply something? I’m undecided! However I regarded it up, so there you go. Not less than, it looks as if excellent news for the Thunder and Cavs.

Keep Optimistic

Doc Rivers needs unusual credit score for playoffs

Bucks coach Doc Rivers is among the biggest content material creators in basketball historical past. He isn’t a podcaster or a TikToker. He doesn’t weblog. I’m fairly certain he by no means ran a Tumblr account. He is the grasp of eliciting a pretend giggle from a media room, however his true mastery comes from making an excuse or giving a quote that actually simply blows your thoughts. He did so in a latest Q&A with Naismith Basketball Corridor of Famer and Andscape’s Marc Spears.

Spears requested Rivers how the latter offers with the criticism he receives on-line for his groups blowing 4 completely different 3-1 sequence leads within the postseason. This was the golden a part of Rivers’ reply:

“Nobody tells an actual story. And I’m superb with that. It’s unfair in some methods. I don’t get sufficient credit score for getting the three wins. I get credit score for dropping. I all the time say, ‘What if we had misplaced to Houston in six?’ Nobody cares. One of many issues that I’m happy with is we’ve by no means been swept. All of the coaches have been swept within the playoffs. My groups obtain. Lots of them overachieve, and I’m very happy with that.”

That’s 10/10. No notes. Unbelievable reply. Completely, Doc. I’m with you. No one offers me credit score for moving into relationships earlier than they fail. You ought to get credit score for the three wins. Sadly, the principles say you want 4 to win the sequence. Rivers gave an analogous reply when he was the coach in Philadelphia again in 2022, however not fairly as suave as this. And, after all, we had JJ Redick skewer his outdated coach on ESPN final yr a couple of lack of accountability and all the time making excuses.

Rivers is a traditionally profitable coach. He’s received a title (2008 Celtics), and he’s one win away from tying Phil Jackson (1,155) for the seventh-most regular-season teaching wins in NBA historical past. He has the fourth-most playoff wins (113). He additionally has misplaced essentially the most sequence by which his group is up 3-1. However it is advisable to get these three wins earlier than you possibly can lose the sequence. Received to understand that.

Talking of appreciating issues, let’s respect this Ryan Dunn poster of Antetokounmpo within the Suns’ 108-106 win over Rivers’ Bucks final night time.