"We must protect him" - Jimmy Butler deflects blame from Steph Curry after loss to Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets

Jimmy Butler, Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors fell short against the Denver Nuggets on Monday, ending their seven-game winning streak. It was the second night of a back-to-back for the Warriors after playing the New York Knicks on Sunday.

Fatigue was one of the factors in the Warriors’ loss against the Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets at Chase Center, as former MVP Steph Curry put up just 20 points on an inefficient 6-of-21 shooting, including 4-of-14 from the 3-point line.

However, Butler deflected the blame from Curry, acknowledging him as their leader and expects more from the team to protect him and be a better contributor on the floor whenever Curry has a poor game.

“It’s okay to be tired,” Butler said about Steph Curry. “That’s on myself, and that’s on us as a unit to pick up the slack for him. As much as everyone thinks he is superhuman, he is not. He’s our leader, and we must protect him at all times.”

As pieces around Curry, Butler urged his teammates to give Steph Curry a break by delivering valuable contributions on the court ahead of the NBA playoff race.

“This is on myself for sure, but everybody else needs to make sure that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing and give my man a break,” Butler said.

Since trading for Butler at the trade deadline, the Warriors have found themselves on an upward trend. The Warriors are sixth with a 39-29 record, just 4.5 games behind the fifth-seed Memphis Grizzlies, winning 14 of their last 17 games.

Butler is averaging 16.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game for the Warriors, playing as a two-way conduit for the team alongside Draymond Green.

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Jimmy Butler calls Steph Curry a one-of-a-kind teammate

After his Miami Heat days, Jimmy Butler joined the Golden State Warriors to add star power alongside Stephen Curry in a bid to give him another run for the NBA title, after winning four rings.

In his first taste of action with Curry, Butler was left in awe about playing alongside Curry. In an interview with NBC Sports, he described what it feels like playing with Curry with the Warriors.

"It's fun to watch whenever I was extremely exhausted, gasping for air over here on the bench…But just to play with him, how smart he is, how unselfish he is and how he makes the most incredible shots and he wants his teammates to be great. There's nothing like it," Butler said.

Butler also adds a deep playoff experience for the Warriors, after towing the Heat to two NBA Finals before, albeit in losing causes. With their recent results, the Warriors are expected to make a run for the title this year.