Warriors guard Stephen Curry reacts to a call next to forward Jimmy Butler during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center on March 10.
Nic Coury/Associated Press
Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler both were in the starting lineup Friday night for the Golden State Warriors, as the Warriors returned home to resume their playoff quest against Denver at Chase Center.
There was doubt about both players throughout the day Friday. The Warriors listed Curry and Butler as questionable, after Curry aggravated his bruised pelvis Thursday night against the Lakers and Butler strained his forearm.
The Warriors also listed Gary Payton II as questionable, with torn ligaments in his thumb, though Payton was expected to be available off the bench.
Article continues below this ad
Golden State (45-31) took a four-game winning streak into Friday night’s game. The Warriors stood fifth in the crowded Western Conference standings, with six regular-season games left.
Free-throw fodder: Among all the various ways Butler has impacted the Warriors since arriving from Miami in early February, this might be the most dramatic: their work at the foul line.
Golden State ranked 27th in the NBA in free-throw attempts per game (20.4) before Butler’s first game on Feb. 8 — and was second in the league (25.2) since then, entering Friday. Butler is averaging 7.4 free-throw attempts per game with the Warriors, easily a team high ahead of Jonathan Kuminga at 5.3.
The Warriors also have made a striking jump in free-throw percentage. They ranked last in the NBA at 72% before Butler suited up — and they’re third in the league since then, at 82.7%.
Article continues below this ad
That’s partly a function of how often Butler gets to the line — he has made 85.9% of his attempts with the Warriors — and also how much his playmaking helps Curry reach the line. Curry leads the NBA this season at nearly 92.9% and for his career at 91.1%.
“It’s been a huge part of our success,” Kerr said. “Every time you go to the free-throw line, you get your defense set up. Every free throw you make just feels like a free point. So those plays were hurting us early in the year — we lost so many close games, and we’d miss 10, 12 free throws. Now it feels like the opposite.”
The Warriors made all 28 of their free-throw attempts in Tuesday’s win over Memphis, and they were 26-for-31 in Thursday night’s victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles.
Briefly: Kerr repeated Friday what he recently told the Chronicle — he considers Jokic “the best center ever.” Jokic entered the game averaging a triple-double for the season: 29.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.2 assists. … Asked about the logjam in the West, with six teams bunched in the Nos. 3 through 8 positions, Kerr acknowledged he checks the standings every day. Then he checks the next day’s schedule, to see potential movement ahead.
Article continues below this ad
Reach Ron Kroichick: [email protected]; X: @ronkroichick
