Kemba Walker and his Charlotte Hornet teammate's went toe-to-toe with a purposeful 76ers squad last evening, and the outcome was nothing less than spectacular.
Last night's 122-119 Sixers' is being viewed as Jimmy Butler's coming out part as a vetted member of his new squad. In the closing frame, JJ Redick joked that his new teammate Butler would call "game" with the ball on his fingertips, and he did just that, throwing up the decisive three-pointer as the clock struck zero.
A flustered Kemba Walker looked on rather helplessly, as the Sixers' bench joined Butler in celebration. Normally a 60-point performance usually ends in a victory, but not last night, and not for the perpetually unlucky Charlotte Hornets franchise.
"I'm still proud, that's an unbelievable thing to do right there," Walker said when asked about his 60-point accomplishment. "I'm just mad that we lost. I'm a competitor. It would have been even better with a win."
In his post-game interview, Jimmy Butler relished the chance to be the closer on a winning team. He also insinuated that Kemba's exploits were all the motivation he needed to enter his zone, down the stretch. "As much as I wanted the shot to go in to win the game, I also wanted it to go in because I didn't want Kemba to give me 70," Butler said half-jokingly. "I wanted it to stop at 60."
