Jimmy Butler Sends Strong Message About Steph Curry After Warriors Win
The No. 10 seed Golden State Warriors took down the No. 9 seed Los Angeles Clippers in an NBA Play-In Tournament matchup at the Intuit Dome on Wednesday night.
The Warriors were led to victory by a masterful performance from veteran point guard Stephen Curry, who finished the 126-121 victory over the Clippers with a game-high 35 points. The superstar sharpshooter connected on seven of his 12 attempts from behind the 3-point arc as he kept Golden State’s season alive.
The Warriors trailed by as many as 13 points with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Curry scored 11 of his 35 points in the final period as his team stormed back to reclaim the lead.
Golden State star Jimmy Butler, who’s sidelined for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL in January, sent a strong message about Curry after Wednesday night’s performance.
“He might be the baddest dude in the world. He might be the baddest dude in the world,” Butler said.
“The GOAT, baby! I saw the movie,” Butler continued in the locker room, referencing the recent animated film produced by Curry.
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Curry missed 27 consecutive games this season as he dealt with knee swelling. The 38-year-old guard returned to the court on April 5.
Curry played 36 minutes in Wednesday night’s win over the Clippers.
“This is why Steph came back,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said of his team leader. “Everyone out there who thought Steph should take the rest of the year off - this is what he does. This is who he is.”
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Curry and the Warriors will matchup against the Phoenix Suns in an NBA Play-In Tournament matchup on Friday night. The winner of that contest will claim the final No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, securing a first-round playoff matchup against the reigning-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Friday’s Warriors-Suns matchup will tipoff at 10 p.m. ET in Phoenix.
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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 4:53 PM.