The Golden State Warriors opened the week with another high-scoring win, their fourth straight at the time. But as we now know, their fate shifted dramatically in the third quarter when Jimmy Butler went down awkwardly while attempting to secure a pass. The play resulted in a devastating ACL tear that ended his season and cast a shadow over the team's playoff hopes.
During that four-game winning streak, the Warriors owned the league’s best offense and third-best defense. Since Butler’s injury, however, Golden State has gone 1–2 and ranks 19th in offense and 17th in defense.
Trying to overcome the loss of Butler -- and subsequently the clear offensive limitations that are now in place -- is going to be about defense and hoping for some level of consistency on the other end.