Sixers hold off Timberwolves on Jimmy Butler’s return

MINNEAPOLIS – One could argue that Jimmy Butler was the most hated man in Minnesota on Saturday night.

If not, the 76ers swingman was definitely the most hated person inside the Target Center.

The hate had a lot of do with Saturday, marking Butler’s first game back in the arena after forcing a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Fans here let him know they were displeased with his actions.

They booed him loudly during pregame introductions and every time he touched the ball during the Sixers’ 118-109 victory.

He expected to be booed. However, Butler couldn’t have expected to shoot to the ball as poorly as he did.

The eight-year veteran finished with 12 points, a game-high 13 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. But he made just 4 of 17 shots.

Butler said the boos didn’t impact his shooting.

“Missed shots are part of the game,” he said. “But like I always say, you got to find other ways to impact the game. I think I did a decent job at that as well.”

Butler had a first-quarter scare, which could have impacted his shooting.

He injured his back while missing an alley-oop attempt on a lob from Ben Simmons 2 minutes, 52 seconds into the game. Butler walked awkwardly before bending over near mid-court. He was helped to the bench during a timeout 13 seconds later, but remained in the game.

“I just came down awkward and my back didn’t agree with it,” he said.

Butler received treatment on his back after the game. He was asked if he anticipates the back bothering him moving forward.

“I’m hurting. I’m hurting,” he said. “But we will see soon.”

But the boos stood out more than his injury and shooting woes.

“It was a little crazy,” Tobias Harris said. “First timeout, I told Jimmy, 'Play off the ball” because those boos were annoying me."

It was a closer-than-expected game for the Sixers, even with Joel Embiid missing the first of three games with tendinitis in his left knee.

The Sixers had a commanding 21-point lead in the second quarter, but clung to a three-point lead twice in the fourth quarter. The second time came when Andrew Wiggins’ finger roll closed the gap to 105-102 with 5:10 seconds remaining.

But Harris responded by scoring five of the Sixers’ next six points to give them a 111-105 advantage. Then Jonah Bolden, who started in place of Embiid, hit a three-pointer to make it a nine-point game (114-105) with 2:06 to play.

The Sixers held on to improve to 49-27, while the Timberwolves dropped to 34-42.

Harris finished with a game-high 25 points to go with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Ben Simmons added 20 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists. And Bolden finished with a career-high 19 points, making 5 of 7 three-point shots.

But this night was all about Butler’s return. To prepare him for his return, teammate Amir Johnson booed him throughout the day. He also him booed during Butler’s post-game interview.

Butler got to the arena early for his pregame workouts, hours after a Minnesota media member asked him why he wanted to be traded.

“None of your business,” Butler responded, following the Sixers’ shootaround at a local college.

But his decision to get out of Minnesota was made public heading into training camp back in September.

On Saturday, he told the reporter “You’re just taking bits and pieces and trying to fill in the gaps that you don’t know. So now you’ve got to guess.”

Butler was at odds with Minnesota’s front office and it wasn’t a good mix with the Timberwolves’ young stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Wiggins. Kevin Garnett asked him in January on TNT’s KG Area 21 if his issue was more with management or what he wanted from other players.

“Maybe a little bit of both,” the 29-year-old said back then. “And it’s not a bad thing. I just look at it as the way that I came into the league is different than the way the league is now.”

Butler has said on multiple occasions that he has a good relationship with Wiggins and Towns. But one had to imagine that he wanted to get the best of his former teammates the second time he faced them. Butler had 19 points in a 42-point victory over the Timberwolves at Wells Fargo Center.

In addition to constantly booing Butler, fans cheered Towns whenever the All-Star center was paired up against the Sixer. Towns received a huge applause for dunking in front of Butler late in the first half. ESPN reported that Butler used to bully his former teammate.

But Butler said during shootaround that he has “no ill will” toward Towns and that he’s “killing it.” He also said that Wiggins is “playing incredibly well right now.”

And it appears that he doesn’t have any ill will toward most of his former teammates.

He stood outside of the Minnesota locker room before the game as the Timberwolves arrived. Butler hugged Towns, Derrick Rose, Anthony Tolliver, and Tyus Jones.

“Tyus, that’s my dog,” he said of the guard with whom he remains in contact. “That’s family forever and ever. All and all, the whole organization has got some good people in it.”

Butler also greeted his former coaches and Target Center security guards.

However, he wanted out of Minnesota. He said informing former Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau of his intentions was one of his toughest conversations.

“Like I told him, ‘You’re forever my guy,’" Butler said of Thibodeau, who also coached him with the Chicago Bulls. “We started this thing together, we went through another stint of this thing together. That was one of the toughest conversations to have to tell one of my favorite people and one of my favorite coaches, you know, ‘This [stuff] ain’t it.' He tried his best to change my mind, I’ll tell you that.”

He ultimately got his wish on Nov. 12 when the Timberwolves sent him and Justin Patton to Philly in exchange for Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless and a 2022 second-round pick.

“I wish them well health-wise,” he said of the Timberwolves. “But, I mean, I’m truly locked in on the 76ers.”