The Jimmy Butler era with the Golden State Warriors got off to a strong start Saturday night with a 132-111 win over the Chicago Bulls. The Warriors ended up running away with the win, but it wasn’t without some theatrics after they fell behind by as many as 24 points in the first half.
But Warriors fans were treated to a vintage Stephen Curry performance in the third quarter, when he scored 24 of his 34 points to erase Chicago’s lead. He drained five 3-pointers, each one more ridiculous than the last. Straight-away 3s, flying around a screen and letting it fly off his quick release, falling down while the ball sank through the bottom of the net, turning away from the basket before the ball even touched the rim — you name it. It was Classic Curry.
Curry got the Warriors over the hump and back in front, but Butler got Golden State over the finish line in the fourth quarter. He was pressuring the Bulls on defense, facilitating to setup good looks for teammates and getting to the rim and the free-throw line with relative ease to put the game out of reach. In his first game as a Warriors, Butler finished with 25 points, four assists, two rebounds, one steal, one block and went 7 of 12 from the floor.
