Warriors on the rise, thanks to Butler's sterling service

The Jimmy Butler trade continues to pay dividends for the Golden State Warriors, who are 15-3 since acquiring the six-time All-Star forward from the Miami Heat on Feb 6.

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SAN FRANCISCO - The Jimmy Butler trade continues to pay dividends for the Golden State Warriors, who are 15-3 since acquiring the six-time All-Star forward from the Miami Heat on Feb 6.

The Warriors (40-29) are poised to resume their climb up the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Western Conference standings when they face the Toronto Raptors (24-45) at Chase Centre in San Francisco on March 20 (March 21, Singapore time).

With guard Stephen Curry rested, Butler had 24 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in Golden State's 104-93 home victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on March 18. Curry is expected to return for the next contest.

Butler's presence has created scoring opportunities throughout the line-up for Golden State. Brandin Podziemski scored 17 points against Milwaukee and Buddy Hield added 15 points off the bench.

"It's why (Butler) is who he is. He commands so much attention. For us, that's great because he's allowing everybody else to get in their spots where they're comfortable and either get lay-ups or open jump shots," Warriors forward Draymond Green said.