Jimmy Butler return vs. Heat goes awry in loss – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

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BOX SCORE

Jimmy Butler III’s return trip to Miami was less a revenge game than another stain on the Warriors’ suddenly spiraling season.

Golden State trailed from the start, never got close enough to touch the Miami Heat and wound up on the business end of a 112-86 walloping that delivered all manner of ominous signals.

This loss, the Warriors’ second in a row following a 124-115 beating by the Atlanta Hawks, continues their sudden return trip toward mediocrity. They’ve lost three of their last five games, and this one was a profoundly unsatisfying conclusion to a game that came with tangled emotions.

Four Warriors scored in double figures, led by Jonathan Kuminga’s 15 points, but they were routed in every conceivable way.

Here are three observations from a nightmare on South Beach:

Butler vs. Wiggins

Two names were on the marquee at tipoff: Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins. They were traded for each other last month, and each was going to be a significant contributor to whatever happened on the court.

There wasn’t much of a battle, but Wiggins was superior. And his team won the war decisively.

The former Golden State NBA All-Star finished with 10 points (4 of 13 from the field, 2 of 4 from beyond the arc), five rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals. He played 28 minutes and finished plus-2.

Wiggs picking up where he left off 🔥 pic.twitter.com/iKUwoyo0LX

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 26, 2025

Butler, who claimed this would be “just another game” on the schedule, coped with a mixture of cheers and boos throughout. He finished with 11 points (5 of 12 from the field, 0 of 2 from deep), seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. He was minus-19 over 29 minutes.

Jimmy went to work on this and-1 🪣 pic.twitter.com/OWUv8uvNm1

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 26, 2025

Weakened Offense Expected, But Defense Also Putrid

Stephen Curry’s absence always compromises Golden State’s offense – and surely it did – but what is the excuse for the defense?

After consecutive games with porous defense, the Warriors realized they needed to…

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Publish date : 2025-03-25 19:18:00

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