Whether it was the lower scoring totals, the absence from two games or anything else, Jimmy Butler silenced any critics that might still remain.
An upper-respiratory illness forced Butler to miss the previous two games, making his 13 fourth-quarter points all the more gutsy and improbable. Add on the fact he was the team’s primary facilitator and was guarding reigning MVP Russell Westbrook all in 38 minutes of a back-and-forth close matchup, and it’s hard to view Butler in any brighter a light.
Anyone would understand if someone coming off a bad illness wouldn’t want to play big minutes right out of the gate. But when Thibodeau was asked if he’d be able to get 38 minutes out of his star, he smiled and paused before answering.
“…Jimmy Butler?”
In fairness, it turned out he, in fact, was – understandably – exhausted, but Thibodeau knew that he wouldn’t be able to convince him to sit more than he’s used to. After sitting and watching his team fall in blowouts during the week to the Pacers and Pistons, there was no keeping Butler off the court.
“It makes a big difference. That’s who he is,” Thibodeau said. “He plays both sides of the ball and that’s probably the most important thing. He guards everyone. He playmakes. Just having his presence, he’s a great leader. He does the right things on the floor.”
But all heroics aside, the still-recovering Butler was tired.
“Did you see my face at the end? How do you think I felt?” Butler said in the locker room. “Shit, matching up with Russ all that time? Oh my gosh.”
The game was tiring in itself. It felt as back-and-forth as last Sunday’s buzzer-beating win in Oklahoma City, except this time it was the Thunder who appeared to be in the driver’s seat for most of the game.
Improved first-half play and steady jump shooting from Paul George helped propel the Thunder to a double-digit lead early, while Westbrook sprinkled in remnants of his MVP-quality play from a year ago throughout the game. Still, the Wolves came back to tie it by halftime, and kept pace with them until Butler came through.
An and-one, a defensive stop and an assist to Taj Gibson with just over three minutes left in the game was the starting point. By game’s end, Butler had won every member of that crowd.
While the fourth quarter belonged to the newly-crowned closer, it was still a game that featured several bright spots. Karl-Anthony Towns, as usual, put up the game’s gaudiest numbers, but did so in a more efficient fashion.
Not only did he put the team on his shoulders through the first three quarters, he did so with efficient first-half defense and very few offensive mistakes. But it’s the former that really stands out, considering where he’s started the season defensively, and his career in general.
And it wasn’t the season-high four blocks that did it, either.
It was the way he virtually cut the paint out as an option for the Thunder. He used his body the correct way, read screens better, and made it hard for Westbrook to find a lane. It’s no coincidence that Westbrook’s worst shooting quarter came in the same quarter where Towns had half his blocks.
Still, Towns is a work in progress, and the strong defense wasn’t consistent. In the second half, he struggled on the Thunder’s dazzling pick-and-roll, allowing 10 third-quarter points to Steven Adams. Either way, Friday was a definite improvement, and a win for Towns’ quest to improve defensively.
“Yeah, I think I played better,” Towns said. “I got some things to work on. I guess it’s a step in the right direction. We’ll watch film and try to be better on Monday.”
While Andrew Wiggins mostly deferred to Butler and Towns, he did hit a big 3-pointer midway through the final quarter, and made some nice hustle plays at several different moments. Wiggins, often criticized for his perceived passive approach to “dirty work” plays, was praised by both Butler and Thibodeau after the game.
Perhaps the biggest fresh air in this was Jeff Teague. Early into his new contract, he’s struggled to find his footing as the point guard under a Thibodeau offense, with just one quality game under his belt: the Sunday win at Oklahoma City. When he saw the familiar foe on Friday, he seemed to find a similar level of comfort, finishing with 17 points and 10 assists.
He looked more calm when shooting around the basket, didn’t run into double teams, and shot well from deep. While he lacked focus on some defensive sequences, and finished with six turnovers, it was mostly a quality showing.
In general, the night belonged to the starters, with none of them finished with fewer than 36 minutes. But it belonged to one starter – Butler – more than any other. Considering where the team was in the minds of fans a mere few hours before tipoff, this game was about more than just the win. It was about getting back on track.
“We got better, and that’s all we can ask from everybody is to try to correct it and get better every single day,” Butler said. We’ll go back tomorrow, correct our mistakes, head to Miami, and try to steal one.”
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