How’d Jimmy Butler Do in Warriors’ Debut?

Warriors' centerpiece Stephen Curry seemingly enjoyed the attention Butler got on the court, opening up the floor for Curry to downpour a 34 point performance. Curry made eight of his 16 three-point attempts, and went 10-of-19 overall. Curry also had four rebounds and six assists in his +23 effort.

Three other Warriors finished in double digits, as breakout rookie Quinten Post gave the Warriors 18 points in a starting effort, paired with Buddy Hield who had 14 as part of the opening group, while Brandin Podziemski had 16 off the bench. 

For the Bulls, who traded away Zach LaVine at the deadline, Coby White led the way with 27 points. Unlike the Warriors, who couldn't accomplish the feat due to Draymond Green's six points, all five Bulls starters scored in double digits. Rookie Matas Bezels had 16, Josh Giddy had 11, and Ayo Dosunmu and Nikola Vucevic each had 10. Jalen Smith brought 15 points off the bench as well.

The game was a back-and-firth affair. The Bulls led by 14 at halftime before the Warriors exploded for 42 points in the third quarter to make it a 97-94 game entering the fourth quarter. 

Butler and Curry wasted no time developing chemistry on the court, on top of their combined scoring output, they embraced one another on multiple occasions. In once instance, Butler hit a reverse layup and immediately looked for Curry on the sideline in celebration. 

The Warriors move to 26-26 with the victory. Saturday's match was game three of the Warriors' seven game road trip. They play next on Monday, where they travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks on NBA TV. The Warriors don't return home until February 23, when the newly-acquired Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks come to town.