When the Warriors dropped their 24th game of the season on January 31 to the Suns, things were looking bleak. They stood 11th in the Western Conference, which meant they were one spot out of the play-in tournament and five spots out of the sixth seed. An inconsistent run after a 12-3 start had left them scrambling but Steve Kerr and Steph Curry remained hopeful and identified the No. 6 seed as their goal. This seemed like a far-fetched dream, but following their win over the Magic on Thursday and Stephen Curry’s historic 56-point performance, the Warriors sit seventh and have the No.6 seed in sight, and they might have to thank Anthony Edwards for that.

The Warriors’ fortunes turned around when they signed Jimmy Butler and since then they have gone on a 7-1 run and won five games in a row. Butler has proved to be a marquee acquisition, a move made keeping in view the postseason, which is increasingly looking like a possibility for the Warriors. However, one major threat could’ve stopped them from wholeheartedly celebrating the big win- Anthony Edwards! The Timberwolves had the chance to overtake their Bay Area rivals but fell to the Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena on the same evening. Edwards, who was carrying the hopes of the Wolves, had a night to forget.

In the early in the first half, Edwards received a technical foul after getting into a heated shoving match with Jarred Vanderbilt and engaging in a verbal altercation. Although teammates and staff quickly stepped in to separate them, the damage was already done—the officials hit both stars with a double-tech.

But things only escalated in the third quarter. Anthony Edwards and Jarred Vanderbilt got into it again after a heated sequence. While driving to the basket, Ant-Man lost his footing and hit the floor. Instead of getting back into the play or calling a timeout, he grabbed the ball and turned his attention to the refs, demanding a foul call.

It’s possible some words were exchanged, and with emotions already running high, this was just another flashpoint in an already fiery matchup. That was enough for the ref to blow the whistle and penalize Edwards with his second technical foul, booting him from the game. He has now reached the limit of 16 on the season before receiving a mandatory suspension for the next game that will take place unless one of the technicals is rescinded.

Ant-Man left the floor, finishing with 18 points and six rebounds. Sure, the Wolves tried their best to stay in the game but it wasn’t enough to beat Luka Doncic and LeBron James, who ran out 111-102 winners. As a result, Steve Kerr’s team was able to surpass the Timberwolves and now sit just half a game from the L.A. Clippers as the sixth seed.

They boast a better win percentage and have won the series which puts them ahead of the Timberwolves. The Warriors are at least sure of making the Play-In Tournament with the Phoenix Suns’ defeat to the Pelicans widening the gap to 5 games between the two teams. With Edwards out for the game against the Jazz, there is a good chance of an upset that would further boost Golden State’s playoff chances.

The Warriors made the playoffs in 2023, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games during the Western Conference semifinals. Last season was a different story as they finished 10th and lost in the first stage of the postseason to the Sacramento Kings in the Play-In Tournament.

The biggest factor in the resurgence has been Jimmy Butler’s addition after a five-team deal with the Heat. Kerr had emphasized why Butler could be a game-changer for the Warriors shortly after they acquired him.

“I think that’s a big reason for the trade is to, you know, help Steph, help alleviate some of that pressure. Jimmy’s a guy who gets to the line quite a bit, doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, so the possession tends to be very stable when he has the ball in his hands. And I imagine that Jimmy is going to be really important for us, both, you know, with Steph next to him and when Steph’s off the floor,” he said after a defeat to the Jazz early in the month.

This is the luxury Butler has been able to provide the Warriors, something they haven’t had for a very long time.

Steve Kerr reveals how Jimmy Butler’s addition has solved a key problem for the Warriors

For the last three years, the Bay Area team has struggled whenever Steph has been out of the lineup resting or because of injury woes. After all, he is the focal point of their offense. With Klay Thompson’s form declining and no other star to carry the load with him, the Warriors frequently looked vulnerable without Steph.

This has also meant an over-reliance on him, which at times has been detrimental to the team. But that no longer seems to be the problem thanks to Butler,

Kerr said during tonight’s presser, “I just think, we’re more comfortable when Steph goes to the bench, which is a big deal. Tonight wasn’t our best night in that regard. But I think overall, Jimmy gives us a little confidence that we needed.”

Yes, Butler has emerged as that second superstar the Warriors had been seeking for the past 1095 days. Sure, he is not the best scorer or a dribbling wizard, but Jimmy gets the job done in multiple other ways. Kerr continued, “When he’s with Steph, you see how smart he is, how the ball moves, possessions connect, and same with BP. So, when those guys are out there with Steph, like, you know, BP and Jimmy didn’t shoot it well tonight, but multiple possessions where they’re driving closeouts, swinging the ball, creating an advantage, and then Steph ends up with a shot on the backside.”

Jimmy Butler may have only scored five points, but he still made a huge impact, dishing out seven assists and making life easier for Steph Curry. With the Wolves’ loss, the Warriors hold onto the seventh seed—for now. But let’s be real, the race is far from over.

Right now, the 6th through 9th seeds are deadlocked, all with the same number of wins. That means any team can break away at the last minute, making every game a must-win.

For Golden State, the mission is clear—stay locked in, keep winning, and solidify their playoff spot before it’s too late. Do you think they can do it?