By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
When the Golden State Warriors were down by 24 points on the road against the Chicago Bulls, a social media squealing quickly went viral when they said the Jimmy Butler trade wouldn’t work from all angles.
However, the narrative quickly changed and the majority ate their words when the former Miami Heat franchise player didn’t let Golden State down, steering them to a come-from-behind victory over the Bulls, 132-111, during an inter-conference showdown in the ongoing NBA regular season on February 9, 2025.
Butler flashed his dominant form after scoring one of the greatest debuts since the NBA Trade Deadline ended, wrapping up his first game playing for the Warriors with 25 points, four assists, two rebounds, a steal, and a block, in just 28 minutes of playing time.
The do-it-all swingman was vital during Golden State’s massive 42-25 third-quarter run, which kept them within striking distance after they had gone down by double digits at the half.
Butler showcased his foul-baiting mastery as the crafty forward went to the charity stripe 13 times and cashed 11 total attempts.
Aside from his freebies, Butler also displayed his mid-range clinic and his post prowess, ending the dub with an efficient 7/12 shooting from the field.
Butler converted his first-ever Golden State bucket off an alley-oop play assisted by Buddy Hield, and would wax hot as the game progressed.
Despite personnel and play familiarity issues clouding Butler before the game, the experienced veteran seemed fine playing under the high-octane Golden State system and meshed well with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
It wasn’t an easy start for the Warriors after the Bulls stunned them in the second quarter with a 38-21 run that established their 14-point lead heading into the second half.
Chicago rode their hot hands and maintained their firepower in the first four minutes of the third, but an unexpected offensive snowball sucked the life out of the Bulls when Stephen Curry and Butler kicked off their comeback attempt.
Curry made it rain from downtown that set the tone for Golden State, backstopped by Butler’s fishing exhibition as he put most of Chicago’s starting five in foul trouble.
Unfortunately, Chicago failed to recover in the final frame and could only watch the revamped Warriors dissect them on both ends of the floor.
Curry top-scored the game with 34 big points built from eight three-pointers alongside six dimes, four boards, and a block, while Quinten Post, who just agreed to a two-year deal with the Warriors, tallied 18 markers, three rebounds, and two assists.
On the other hand, Chicago received a 27-point effort from Coby White, but Golden State’s second-half run proved to be too much.
