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Jimmy Butler Hilariously Takes Shot at Buddy Hield After Warriors-Rockets

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Svyato Rovenchuk | Last updated Apr 21, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The 'underdog' Golden State Warriors went into Houston for Game 1 and did what most expected they would. The Warriors beat the Houston Rockets in a decisive 95-85 road victory. Jimmy Butler clearly thought it was far from a perfect game, though.

Butler, himself, shined in the matchup. The Warriors star poured in 25 points, adding seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals. Playoff Jimmy was the perfect compliment to Stephen Curry.

The Warriors superstar led all scorers with 31 points in this game. Curry also added six rebounds, three assists, and one steal. However, not everyone was delivering to the standard of the dynamic duo.

Buddy Hield had an underwhelming performance off the bench for the Warriors. The 3-point marksman only delivered two points, while shooting 1-of-4 from the field and 0-of-2 from beyond the arc.

There was one aspect of Hield's performance that annoyed Butler in particular. The newest Warriors star made a loud and hilarious statement about it at the postgame press conference.

"And Buddy, stop trying to dribble the ball. I hate that," Butler joked in his media availability following the contest.

What I've been saying. All he needs to do is hold the damn ball. I dunno why he's always in a hurry Rockets got long athletic guys that can recover easily in a fast break situation.
— Nathan (@highfade_30) April 21, 2025

It sounds like Butler really does not want Hield overextending himself. 'Less is more' would be what the six-time All-Star is suggesting to his teammate.

Clearly, putting the ball on the ground too often did not hurt the Warriors in the long run. Golden State took control of this ball game after a strong second quarter, outscoring the Rockets 29-13 in that frame.

The Warriors will get a couple of nights off before being back on the court for Game 2 of this series on Wednesday night. Perhaps the margin of victory can be even larger then if Hield takes Butler's advice.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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