Butler's sly dig at former team after debut 76ers win
Star Philadelphia recruit Jimmy Butler couldn’t resist sticking the boot into his former team after grabbing a debut home win with the 76ers.
Butler marked a successful home debut in Philadelphia’s 113-107 win against the Utah Jazz.
The former Timberwolves star dropped a team-high 28 points and went 12-of-15 from the field in the win, and played a key part in closing out the win in the final stretch.
And even though he’s been with the team for a matter of days, it already sounds like Butler is much, much happier in Philadelphia than he was in Minnesota.
Talking with NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Serena Winters after the win, Butler made some interesting comments — some that could be seen as a shot at his former team.
“We did what we’re supposed to do. It’s so fun to win,” Butler said. “It’s so much more fun to play with these guys.”
Now, Butler simply could have meant that as a compliment to his new teammates. However, it’s no secret the Timberwolves and Butler had a massive string of issues this year that affected the rest of the organisation.
Butler and the Timberwolves were in a rough standoff to start the season, ever since he made it clear he wanted to be traded just before training camp started.
Even thought the four-time All-Star insisted he wasn’t a distraction for Minnesota, many saw Butler as a bad influence on Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
One scout even said that Butler was the problem in Minnesota and when he was with the Chicago Bulls, and that “he’s really hard to play with.”
It showed on the court, too, as the Timberwolves dropped five-straight games leading up to the trade.
The vibe in the 76ers locker room so far, though, seems to be a much better fit.
“Everybody wants to win,” Butler added.
“And when somebody messes up, you talk to them, they don’t take it personal and they do their job.
“I think everybody is such a good basketball player, and we all want to do right, that sometimes we mess up.”
For the record, though, the Timberwolves are 3-0 now without Butler.
Simmons wins battle between Aussies
Ben Simmons and Dante Exum have lived childhood dreams going head-to-head in an NBA game for the first time but it was the 76ers man who will have happier memories of the match.
Simmons had 10 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and orchestrated key plays in a tense final minute for the 76ers while Exum, coming off the bench, electrified the Jazz with seven points and four assists on Friday in Philadelphia.
“He’s an incredible passer,” the 76ers’ new All-Star recruit Jimmy Butler, praising Simmons after the Australian delivered a pinpoint pass for a late game-winning basket, said.
“He knew I was going to be there.
“I tip my hat to him.”
The game also featured the Jazz’s other Australian, Joe Ingles, who had 14 points.
The usually accurate Ingles appeared set to deliver the game-winner when he had an open three-point attempt with 40 seconds to go and the Jazz trailing by two points, but he shot an air ball.
Simmons went from villain to hero in the final 90 seconds of the game as the teams fought for the lead.
Simmons turned the ball over with an errant pass that gave the Jazz a 107-105 lead but came back with a finger roll layup and then found Butler cutting to the basket with the pinpoint pass for the clincher.
The game also pitted Simmons against the Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell, who had 31 points although that came from 35 shot attempts including missing 10 of his 11 three point tries.
Simmons beat Mitchell for the Rookie of the Year Award last season after an acrimonious campaign where Mitchell accused Simmons of not being a rookie because the Australian sat out the previous year with a foot fracture.
Simmons and Exum, both sons of US NBL imports, grew up to together in Australia playing in backyard basketball games and on junior representative squads and often spoke about eventually competing in the NBA.
Injuries the past two years cost the good friends the opportunity to go head-to-head.
Kyrie Irving scored a season-best 43 points, including four in overtime, and added 11 assists as the Boston Celtics came back to defeat the visiting Toronto Raptors 123-116.
Tyreke Evans, Domantas Sabonis and Cory Joseph led a dominant bench effort as the host Indiana Pacers defeated the Miami Heat 99-91.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 25 points off the bench, D’Angelo Russell added 23 as the visiting Brooklyn Nets defeated the Washington Wizards 115-104.
Andrew Wiggins scored 23 points, Derrick Rose had 17 as the Minnesota Timberwolves kept cruising without Butler by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 114-96.
Anthony Davis scored a season-high 43 points and grabbed 17 rebounds and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the New York Knicks 129-124.
With agencies
