The Golden State Warriors cruised to a 136–116 home win over the Charlotte Hornets, but the biggest storyline came before tip-off. Jimmy Butler was a late scratch due to personal reasons after initially being announced as a starter. Rookie Will Richard stepped into the lineup, while head coach Steve Kerr later clarified that everything was fine, relaying information from general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. Kerr confirmed Butler is expected to return for the next home game against the Miami Heat.
Miami, meanwhile, pulled off an impressive 122–120 road victory over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, snapping OKC’s five-game winning streak. The Thunder entered the contest with a league-best 35–7 record and were widely viewed as the title favorite, making the Heat’s win especially significant.
Despite missing several key contributors—including Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Davion Mitchell—Miami leaned on its stars. Bam Adebayo delivered a dominant performance with 30 points and 12 rebounds, while knocking down a career-high six three-pointers. Andrew Wiggins played the hero, drilling the go-ahead three with 31 seconds remaining to seal the upset.
Both teams rely heavily on ball movement and bench production, but the matchup dynamics favor Golden State. Adebayo is unlikely to replicate his recent scoring output against the combined defensive presence of Draymond Green and Butler, while Miami’s perimeter threats could be limited by the Warriors’ defensive schemes. With home-court advantage and a deeper rotation, Golden State holds the edge in this spot.
Point Spread Pick: Golden State Warriors to cover at home
