A Sense of Doubt blog post #3724 - Dubs win Game Four of Round One; Why I now Like Jimmy Butler; NBA 24-25 Season

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3724 - Dubs win Game Four of Round One; Why I now Like Jimmy Butler; NBA 24-25 Season

I have two favorite basketball teams: the Detroit Pistons and the Golden State Warriors.

Opposite trajectories.

My most beloved Detroit Pistons have been fighting the New York Knicks in the first round. They are struggling even though the games are incredibly close. They are currently down 1-3 in a best of seven.

Game Three should have had a late back court violation called on the Knicks, which may have changed the two point loss for the Pistons. Game Four was even worse. In the final seconds, Tim Hardaway Jr. was fouled on a three point attempt with time expiring DOWN BY ONE. The NBA has since ruled that the officials indeed missed the foul call, which would have probably resulted in a Pistons win if Hardaway makes 2-3 free throws.

Sure, one can argue that if the Pistons play better, they have a bigger lead at the end, and these things fail to be issues.

But the Knicks are a good team. And even, though I think the Pistons are the better team, the games have all been razor thin, excluding the first game that was close until the Pistons collapsed at the end and let the Knicks go on a 21-0 run.

In opposite universe, the Dubs -- Golden State Warriors -- are up 3-1 in a best of seven battle with second seeded Houston.

There's a battle there, too, and the Dubs are winning.

So... earlier this season, the Dubs traded for Jimmy Butler.

I saw the sense in this trade, but I was sad to see players exit, especially Andrew Wiggins.

I had always had issues with Butler, but I could never argue his talent.

With his exit from Miami though, I hated how it was playing out. Granted, I am outside looking in, but it did not seem as if he was handling it professionally.

Maybe that's how he needed to handle it, though, to get the trade he demanded. Who knows all the toxic BS going on there.

But I was very sour and salty. I didn't really like Jimmy Butler based on what I saw.

With is quote below, he has won my heart!

"No, we're not having fun," Butler said. "Get me on the record with this: I don't like Dillon Brooks. We're never having fun. I'm a fierce competitor. He's a fierce competitor. There ain't nothing fun about that."

I may have been sour on Jimmy Butler, but I HATE Dillon Brooks.

He's an asshole.

Granted, he's trying to be an asshole to win games and get in the heads of his opponents.

Doesn't make him less of an asshole that he is taking the role of an asshole.

Maybe he's a sweet guy at heart. I don't know him.

From what I see, I can't stand him.

So when Butler publicly goes on record saying he does not like Brooks.

LOVE IT.

I cannot deny what Butler has done for the Dubs. They would not be here in the playoffs if not for the impact he has had since the trade.

Steph Curry and Draymond Green are my two favorite currently playing basketball players (sorry Pistons), but without Butler, they are not in the playoffs.

It was impressive in many ways that they won game three without him. Not that Curry and Green and others are not talented, but the Rockets are a physically punishing, disruptive, annoying team.

Game Five back in Houston tomorrow night. Dubs win the series if they win it. I hope they do, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Rockets get at least one more before it's closed out.

Pistons play Game Five tonight. They need to win three in a row -- two in New York -- to win the series. They did not win either game at home. It's possible to win three in a row, but I am not holding my breath.

Below the recap of last night's Dubs game are the final NBA standings of the 24-25 season and the playoff bracket as it stands today.

Wishing great things for my teams!

Thanks for tuning in.

highlight video link





https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/44912704/jimmy-butler-plays-pain-delivers-late-help-warriors-win-game-4-take-3-1-series-lead-rockets

Warriors praise ailing Butler's 'humongous' effort in Game 4 win

SAN FRANCISCO -- For the first three quarters of Game 4, Draymond Green thought Jimmy Butler couldn't move due to the pelvic and deep gluteal muscle contusion injury that kept him out of Game 3.

But in a tense fourth quarter, Butler got loose and delivered 14 of his 27 points while also grabbing a massive defensive rebound from three Rockets to help the Golden State Warriors put the Houston Rockets on the brink with a 109-106 win in Game 4.

Butler still looked like he was in pain from his scary fall on his tailbone in the first quarter of Game 2 last Wednesday. But his return from a one-game absence pushed the Warriors to within one win of advancing to the Western Conference semis.

"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."

The Warriors trailed by four 4:20 remaining after Fred VanVleet hit one of his eight 3-pointers. Alperen Sengun also took advantage of Green being in foul trouble. In a chippy game, Green picked up his fifth personal foul with 8:06 remaining in the third quarter. He did not return until 7:51 left in the fourth. While Sengun finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds, the Rockets center was held to four points in the final 7:50 of the game. The Rockets were 3-of-16 with Green as their primary defender in Game 4, including Sengun shooting 2-of-11 against the Warriors' stopper.

One of those missed shots came with 6.4 seconds remaining. The Warriors were clinging to a one-point lead when they went to Sengun in the middle of the floor on Green, who came up with the game-saving stop that was rebounded by Butler.

"Why him?" asked Brandin Podziemski, who hit six 3-pointers and had 26 points. "I don't know why you'd go after the Defensive Player of the Year."

Butler, who had hit three big free throws with 58.7 seconds left to break a 104-104 tie after a foul on Dillon Brooks, sealed the game with two more free throws with four seconds to go.

Afterward, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said if this were the regular season, Butler would "probably miss another week or two."

"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.

But he said "it was winning time" in the fourth quarter. And he also says he got a boost from some talking from Brooks.

"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."

Butler was later asked about how he and Brooks got into it and looked like they were having fun.

"No, we're not having fun," Butler said. "Get me on the record with this: I don't like Dillon Brooks. We're never having fun. I'm a fierce competitor. He's a fierce competitor. There ain't nothing fun about that."

The Warriors had a lot of fun at the end of this game as Butler and Green let out primal screams following Green's stop on Sengun and Butler's rebound. And Stephen Curry, who was held to 17 points after having 36 in Game 3, shouted in celebration at both Butler and Green after the buzzer.

Now Golden State looks to close the Rockets out in Game 5 in Houston on Wednesday.

"They're always the hardest ones," Kerr said of a close-out game. "Every team that's in the playoffs, especially a team like Houston, 2 seed, 52 wins, big-time team. They got a lot of pride, great coach. They're going to be ready. We got a long way to go. We know Game 5 will be the toughest one yet."

"The first three quarters, he couldn't move," Draymond Green said of Jimmy Butler. "Not sure how he started moving in the fourth quarter, but first three quarters he couldn't move. Yet he never complained. He stuck with it." Kelley L Cox/Imagn Images

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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2504.29 - 10:10

- Days ago: MOM = 3589 days ago & DAD = 244 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3426 - Goodbye Klay Thompson

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3426 - Goodbye Klay Thompson

It's with great sadness that I share this news. Despite what Kerr is saying about this move being the right one for Klay Thompson, I disagree. I know it's a business, and the business is winning championships, but there's something to be said for loyalty and keeping together a core group that won you FOUR championships in the last ten years.

Though the Detroit Pistons are my first love, the Warriors have been my second favorite team since drafting Chris Webber. I loved the Baron Davis era, but I especially love this dynasty of three of my favorite all time basketball players: Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson.

What makes this free agent move in which Thompson signs with the Dallas Mavericks is that it's the DALLAS MAVERICKS.

I have always liked Mark Cuban and cheered on the Mavs in the Dirk Nowitzki era, I started to dislike them when they got Kyrie Irving, who has a history of saying really obnoxious things to the media, though he was much better this year, though also I stopped watching Sports Center, so I clearly miss a lot of it. But then as I watched the Mavs more, I developed a strong dislike for Luka Dončić and how he whines for foul calls ALL THE TIME. It's a thing. Everyone knows it. Luka even knows it and tried to control himself.  Klay Thompson makes the Mavs lots better, which is the last thing I want to see.

End of an era.

Goodbye Captain Klay.

You're an inspiration.

Klay Thompson posts heartfelt goodbye to Warriors, Bay Area

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40502840/klay-thompson-posts-heartfelt-goodbye-warriors-bay-area

video link 

Klay Thompson penned a farewell post to the Golden State Warriors and their fans on Friday, calling his 13 seasons with the franchise "the best times of my life."

Thompson, 34, marked the end of an era in Golden State on Monday, when he agreed to a three-year, $50 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks. He spent his entire career with the Warriors, helping to lead them to four NBA championships.

"Oh Bay Area, there are not enough words and images to convey how I really feel about y'all," he wrote in an Instagram post Friday. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for the best times of my life. It was such an honor to put that Dubs jersey on from day 1. I really just wanted to be the best I could be and help bring as many championships as possible to the region. The best part was not the rings though, it was the friendships I made that will last a lifetime."

Thompson went on to write, "Don't be sad it's over, be happy it happened."

Thompson's relationship with the Warriors became increasingly strained last season over contract discussions and his looming free agency. His unhappiness grew as his role with the team fluctuated, including him being moved to a bench role in late February. A five-time All-Star, Thompson averaged 17.9 points per game last season, his lowest since 2012-13.

The Warriors wished Thompson well earlier this week, saying that they look forward to retiring his No. 11 jersey, while Stephen Curry, his fellow Splash Brother, paid tribute to him with a message on Instagram.

"Gonna miss you," Curry wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. "Even though we won't finish the journey together, what we did will never be done again. Couldn't have imagined a better run with you and [Draymond Green]. Changed the whole Bay Area. Changed the way the game is played. Killa Klay at the center of it all. Thank you for everything bro. Go enjoy playing basketball and doing what you do.

"Splash Bros 4 life my guy."

Kevin Durant, who played three seasons with Thompson, winning two titles, also saluted his former teammate Friday, calling him "a Bay Area God."

"One chapter closes, another one opens," Durant wrote on Instagram. "Keep doing u champ."

KLAY THOMPSON GOODBYE TO GSW

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Klay Thompson (@klaythompson)

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40510414/klay-thompson-made-right-call-moving-mavs-steve-kerr-says

Klay Thompson made right call moving to Mavs, Steve Kerr says

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LAS VEGAS -- After his first practice with Team USA ahead of the Olympics, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr addressed the departure of Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks and wished the five-time All-Star well after "13 incredible years."

"What he did for the team, the organization, for the Bay Area, for me personally -- the relationship that we had, all the incredible success but more importantly just going through it all together, it has been so meaningful and so amazing," said Kerr, who coached Thompson for 10 of his 13 seasons with Golden State.

"We are going to miss Klay. We wish him the best. These things rarely go like you want where you get to draw it up and execute it and everybody goes out together. We were hoping that could happen, but it didn't. We wish Klay well, but we love him and we'll miss him."

Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50 million deal to join the Mavericks as a free agent Monday, ending a run with the Warriors that resulted in four championships and the formation of the league's greatest shooting backcourt with Thompson and Stephen Curry.

But after a difficult season that saw him being pulled from the starting lineup for a time, Thompson decided it was time to make a change. Kerr said he'd talked with Thompson about his decision and that he "completely understands" where he was coming from.

"That's really my job as a coach, is to help him," Kerr said. "I think that's really been the toughest thing for Klay, dealing with the injuries and the aftermath. Two years, to be out two straight years with career-threatening injuries. Prior to that Klay ... He didn't need a lot of counsel. The last couple of years, he's needed it because this has been so tough for him. I'm amazed at his ability to come back from those injuries, to help us win another championship, to play at the level he's played at."

Kerr said the move was the right decision for Thompson.

"I think it makes sense for him in his heart to get a different change of pace, change of location," Kerr said. "Get out of California, go play on a different team. It's what's right for him right now."

Kerr is intimately familiar with the process of change from his own playing days, having seen up close how the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls teams in the late 1990s came to an end. He said that personal history helped give him context for the current state of the Warriors, and he admitted that he never felt like the team was going to have a storybook ending.

"I haven't ever had fantasies that this thing would just go on for another five, six years and Steph, Klay and Dray would retire together and I would retire with them. ... There's never been that thought," Kerr said. "I've been around the league for a long time, whether it's Chicago or other situations. It's never easy, when these things start to run out.

"But the biggest thing is the relationships endure. The memories endure. Klay's going to have a statue outside Chase [Center] someday, he'll be beloved by his teammates and coaches and our fans forever. And yeah, it's never easy. But it's all going to, I think, it'll all work out for everyone."

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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2407.05 - 10:10

- Days ago = 3290 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.