The Golden State Warriors took a 3-1 series lead over the Houston Rockets on Monday with a 109-106 Game 4 win that featured an awful lot of extracurriculars. In the least surprising news possible, Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks were at the center of much of that, with Green somehow picking up five fouls, a technical and a flagrant in the game but managing to never get tossed.
Brooks, meanwhile, was the instigator for Green’s technical (and one on Stephen Curry) and did his typical bear-poking routine with Jimmy Butler. That proved to be to the detriment of the Rockets, as Butler went off for 27 points despite being less than 100 percent to help lead the Warriors comeback to win. While Butler and Brooks had a few different exchanges, the most notable came late in the second quarter as they lined up next to each other on the lane before free throws and Butler pretty clearly told Brooks “you’re a bum and a bitch,” which Brooks then did an over-the-top laugh about.
As an aside, the best part is referee Bill Kennedy coming over and making sure Butler wasn’t talking about him, with Jimmy pointing to Brooks and saying he was talking to him, which is enough for Kennedy and he just walks back away.
Just over a minute later, Butler hammered Brooks on a fast break.
That, somewhat surprisingly, didn’t result in any flagrant review and was just a common foul, but made it pretty evident that Butler wasn’t just joking around with Brooks during those free throws. After the game, Butler got asked about that exchange and whether he enjoyed it, and he clarified that when it comes to he and Brooks, “we’re never having fun.”
“No, we’re not having fun,” Butler said. “I don’t like Dillon Brooks. So, we’re never having fun. I’m a fierce competitor, he’s a fierce competitor, but ain’t nothin’ fun about that.”
Warriors’ Draymond Green puts on a defensive masterclass after narrowly escaping ejection
Brad Botkin
While they weren’t having fun, Jimmy got the last laugh Monday as Brooks fouling him on a 3-pointer with the game tied late proved to be a pivotal moment in the game. Butler’s three free throws pushed Golden State in front by three with 58.1 seconds to play, and they would never relinquish that lead again to take control of the series at 3-1 going back to Houston.
Game 5 figures to be similarly chippy, and if you happen to see Brooks and Butler jawing with one another, even if Dillon has a laugh, just know that Jimmy is dead serious about whatever he’s saying.
