Nearly four months ago, as a member of the Miami Heat, Jimmy Butler admitted he had lost his joy and couldn't get it back while in South Beach.
But on Monday night, Butler declared that his joy is back.
After helping the Warriors win a thrilling Game 4 over the Houston Rockets, Butler spoke to TNT's Allie LaForce about his monster performance.
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SIGN UP HERE "It means the world," Butler said after Golden State's 109-106 win. "I'll die for these guys. For real. It's so fun. I got my joy back, as some would say. But more than anything, it's always good to win."
Butler missed most of Game 2 and all of Game 3 due to a left pelvic contusion, but he returned with a vengeance Monday night, scoring 27 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and 12 of 12 from the free throw line in 40 minutes.
The entire Warriors-Rockets series has been chippy but Game 4 featured several altercations, one of which got Butler going.
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"Somebody said something to me," Butler told LaForce. "That's all it takes, somebody to say something to me gets me going every single time."
The Warriors needed Butler's gutsy effort in Game 4, and they'll need more of the same when they try to close out the Rockets on Wednesday night in Houston.