LOS ANGELES – Draymond Green, his jersey still soaked from 34 grueling minutes in Golden State’s win over the Lakers, summed up what has changed since Jimmy Butler’s early February arrival: “Belief.” Butler, Green said, didn’t change the Warriors culture. He didn’t have to. This wasn’t Minnesota or Philadelphia. Even Miami. Golden State didn’t need a leader. It needed a player. It didn’t need Butler’s voice in the locker room. It needed his presence on the court.
They got it, and more. Thursday’s win improved Golden State to 19–2 with both Butler and Stephen Curry in the lineup. It kept the Warriors hold on the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference, though that hold is tenuous. Golden State is 1 ½ games behind Denver for the No. 3 seed. They are also just one game up on the Clippers for No. 8. Such is life in the West, where the standings are shaken up nightly.
