Golden State’s Game 3 loss to the Timberwolves wasn’t just a basketball game—it was a drama-filled Broadway show with Jimmy Butler starring as the frustrated lead, Steve Kerr playing the head coach turned truth-teller, and seven “defensive stars” looking like understudies who forgot their lines. Despite Butler’s 33-point night and a Jonathan Kuminga dunk that nearly broke Anthony Edwards’ ego, the Warriors couldn’t hold off Minnesota, who now lead the series 2-1. And folks, Jimmy Butler had some THINGS to say.
Let’s get into it.
First of all, Jimmy Butler delivered what we expected: “Playoff Jimmy” in full effect. He dropped 33 points, grabbed 7 boards, and dished out 7 assists. But Jimmy wasn’t about to let his teammates off the hook just because he had a good stat line. “I don’t care how many shots I shoot. I don’t care how many points I score. 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.”
Because while Jimmy and Kuminga (30 points off the bench) kept the Warriors’ offense alive, the seven so-called defensive anchors might as well have been guarding with paper towels. “Yeah, scoring’s not a problem. I think 97 can win in the playoffs. It’s us on our end. We gotta stop them from scoring. We gotta not turn the ball over, we gotta get back. I definitely think that we can score with the best of them, but we gotta be able to guard with the best of them as well.”
What exactly did the 7 defensive giants of the Warriors do?
Draymond Green: fouled out with 5 turnovers and just 2 points. Kevon Looney: 4 points, got posterized. Quinten Post blinked and left the court with a -6 plus-minus. Trayce Jackson-Davis: 7 points, 11 minutes, barely noticed Gui Santos: DNP – Coach’s mystery.
Jonathan Kuminga: the only guy who didn’t flop (bless him), Moses Moody: 3 minutes and a disappearing act.
That’s the “Seven Stars” for you. Seven unique defensive players, and only one played like he was trying to stay in the league. The rest? Might as well have been doing TikTok dances in transition.
The Red Flag Both Steve Kerr & Jimmy Butler Couldn’t Ignore
Steve Kerr tried to give a diplomatic postgame answer, but the truth leaked out like Draymond leaking defensive rotations. “Yeah, the team defense was really good. I mean, you know, we held them to 102. That’s a pretty good number. But Randle and Edwards really both got going in the second half, and that was the key. We couldn’t quite contain them, especially in the fourth, and that was the difference.”
Anthony Edwards had himself a feast, scoring 36 points and taking Kuminga’s dunk on him as a personal challenge. Edwards admitted that Kuminga’s dunk flipped a switch: “I feel like when [Jonathan] Kuminga dunked on me, that got me going.” Yup, Kuminga poked the bear, and the bear responded by torching the entire forest.
Julius Randle didn’t stay quiet either, putting up a triple-double with 24 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds. Between those two, the Timberwolves basically went full Thanos and said, “Fine. I’ll do it myself.”
May 6, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler (10) conducts an interview after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves during game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Golden State shot 43.2% from the field, and outside of Kuminga and Butler, the rest of the roster might as well have been using blindfolds. Brandin Podziemski shot 1-for-10 (how? why?), while Draymond Green seemed more focused on getting into foul trouble than getting into position.
The Timberwolves bench? Efficient, productive, supportive. The Warriors’ bench? Like watching a middle school drama rehearsal where no one studied the script.
Let’s not forget the full box score heartbreak: Warriors had 14 turnovers, 24 fouls, and the defensive rotations were so late they might as well have been delivered by snail mail.
The Warriors are now trailing 2-1 in the series, and with Curry expected to be out until maybe Game 6, every remaining game is now a fire drill. But wait, there might be a sliver of hope. Kuminga is evolving faster than a Charmander with a Fire Stone, and if he keeps this up, maybe—just maybe—the Warriors can steal Game 4 and survive until Steph returns.
Jimmy Butler did everything he could short of playing center, calling plays, and coaching the timeouts. But when the defense is a no-show and the seven players tasked with protecting the rim instead host a block party for the opponent, what more can the man do?
The Warriors spotted a major red flag in this series: they simply can’t guard elite talent without Curry to bail them out on the other end. And Jimmy Butler? He just tossed a match into the Warriors’ already smoldering hopes and walked off like a true anti-hero.
Game 4. Monday. 10 PM ET. Grab the popcorn.
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