Draymond Green hails ailing Jimmy Butler after Game 4 win against Houston Rockets

Golden State Warriors veteran defender Draymond Green showered praise on ailing Jimmy Butler after Game 4 win against the Houston Rockets. The Dubs registered a 109-106 win against the Rockets with Butler scoring 14 of his 27 points in the final quarter.

Butler had missed the third game of the series due to the pelvic and deep gluteal muscle contusion injury. It seemed like Butler played through pain in Game 4 after his scary fall on his tailbone in the first quarter of Game 2 last Wednesday.

“He played through the injury,” Green said. “Was beautiful. But what his presence does for this team is humongous. The first three quarters, he couldn’t move. Not sure how he started moving in the fourth quarter, but he never complained. He stuck with it.

“I think what was most important, when the time was right, everybody on our side looked to get him the ball. When you get him the ball, he made great things happen for himself or for others. It was huge. I think my favorite play was the last rebound. I looked up, I thought it was [young and athletic Jonathan] Kuminga out there flying. It was Jimmy.”

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Butler would have missed a week’s action if it was regular season.

“But it’s the playoffs,” Kerr said. “He’s Jimmy Butler, so this is what he does. The rebound at the end was just incredible, the elevation, the force. Then, of course, knocking down the free throws to clinch it. Jimmy was just amazing.”

Butler admitted he was hurting.

“A lot of pain,” Butler said.

The six-time NBA All-Star said he was pumped up to give his best after some talking from Brooks despite the injury pain.

“Your body starts to warm up, you start to match a little bit better, you gain confidence,” Butler said. “People start talking to you. Then good things happen.”

The fifth game of the series will be played on Wednesday.