Warriors have taken on Jimmy Butler's identity

Nobody would have blinked an eye if the Warriors "mailed it in" in their final game before the All-Star break on Thursday, considering they endured a tough loss to the Mavericks less than 24 hours prior. 

Following that defeat in Dallas, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr slammed the NBA for its ruthless scheduling and hinted at sitting out his star players. Instead, Golden State soldiered on against a tough Rockets team, coming away with an impressive 105-98 victory.

The win was the latest example of the budding chemistry between Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, who came out all guns blazing to give the Warriors a 62-48 halftime lead. However, the second half was an all-too-familiar story for the Warriors, who've blown 10 fourth-quarter leads and are 17-17 in games decided by five or fewer points. 

When the Rockets cut the deficit to two with 7:29 left in the fourth, it appeared the Warriors were about to blow yet another double-digit lead. In a surprising twist, they didn't crumble and eked out a win, relying on defense, hustle and rebounding. Butler was instrumental with four free throws and two offensive boards in the final minute, giving Golden State a degree of physicality it lacked earlier in the season.

Draymond Green couldn't stop raving about Butler's impact in the clutch moments of the hard-fought victory. 

"He's a franchise changer," Green said of Butler after the win, via ESPN. "He's done that everywhere he's gone and he is helping revitalize what we got here. The belief amongst this team, now that he's arrived, as opposed to what it was before he got here, it's night and day."

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr revealed it was a strategic move to bench Butler early in the fourth and keep him fresh for clutch moments. The Warriors went on a 9-2 run after Butler returned to the court at the 4:42 mark in the fourth quarter. 

"Great closer, not in the traditional sense where he's going to be Kevin Durant and make four straight midrange jumpers, but it's more of a complete game," Kerr said of Butler's clutch heroics. "Get to the line, make the right pass, get somebody else an open look, get a defensive stop, get a rebound. He's a fantastic player."

If the Warriors continue to take on Butler's identity, they could be a tough out for any team in the playoffs. Golden State (28-27) enters the All-Star break as the 10th seed but is only 3.5 games behind the sixth-seeded Clippers (31-23).