Jimmy Butler makes massive Steph Curry statement after Warriors lose winnable Game 3: "Don't have to worry about getting Steph back"

The Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors fumbled late in Game 3 on home floor to concede a 2-1 lead to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Playing without Curry, the Warriors led entering the fourth quarter, only to blow it down the stretch, putting them in a precarious position entering Game 4.

For Jimmy Butler, who has been the Warriors’ go-to player since Curry injured his hamstring in Game 1, the Warriors need to step up without their superstar on the floor to keep their season alive against Minnesota.

"It's always get a win. If we don't win, we damn sure don't have to worry about getting Steph back this year. We gotta put our big boy pants on and go out there and compete at a high level,” Butler said.

Jimmy on playing without Steph: "It's always get a win. If we don't win, we damn sure don't have to worry about getting Steph back this year. We gotta put our big boy pants on and go out there and compete at a high level" byu/Classic-Carpet7609 innba

Butler played the most minutes for the Warriors in Game 3 with 43 minutes, putting up 33 points, on 12-of-26 shooting. He also had seven rebounds and seven assists, albeit for naught, as the Warriors struggled to contain the Timberwolves’ offense late on, having been outscored 33-24 in the final quarter.

Despite a 30-point outing from Jonathan Kuminga, only one other Warriors scorer, Buddy Hield, put up double-digit figures, scoring 14 points. It also didn't help that Draymond Green was in foul trouble for most of the second half, before eventually fouling out early in the fourth quarter.

Since Curry’s injury in Game 1, the Warriors are yet to win a game in the series, following a blowout loss to the Timberwolves in Game 2.

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Warriors have "no room for errors" without Curry, says Jimmy Butler

As they enter a critical Game 4, Jimmy Butler hopes the Warriors will realize the magnitude of the situation and play with minimal errors to extend the series before Steph Curry's potential Game 5 return.

“Obviously, with Steph out there, he demands two to three bodies when he’s out there on the floor. … When he’s not, there’s no room for error. You can’t make mistakes. You can’t turn the ball over. You can’t give back all of those things. And then you’ve got to take the right shots," Butler said.

The Warriors will look to avoid going down 3-1, while the Timberwolves will look to pounce on the shorthanded Golden State before the series shifts back to Minnesota for Game 5, where Curry is expected to return.