The Golden State Warriors dropped a game they had no business losing on Saturday night, falling 114-109 to an Indiana Pacers team that came in winless at 0-5 and missing most of their rotation. After the defeat, Jimmy Butler didn't mince words about his team's performance.

"We fouled entirely too much, myself included, I would like to think that that was the basis of it," Butler said after the game. "And the turnovers."

A Loss That Stings

Indiana entered the matchup decimated by injuries, missing franchise cornerstone Tyrese Haliburton (out for the season with an Achilles tear), along with Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, T.J. McConnell, and Obi Toppin.

Despite facing a skeleton crew, the Warriors (now 4-3) couldn't close out a game they led by 11 points in the fourth quarter.

Butler contributed 20 points, seven assists, six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks in 35 minutes, but his numbers told only part of the story.

The veteran forward finished with a minus-6 plus/minus rating as Golden State collapsed down the stretch, and even though Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 24 points, he shot a lowly 8-for-23 from the field, including 4-for-16 from three-point range.

Discipline Issues

Butler's postgame comments highlighted two critical problems that hurt Golden State throughout the game.

The Warriors committed 25 personal fouls compared to just 16 for Indiana, sending the Pacers to the free-throw line 24 times while Golden State attempted only 19 foul shots.

The foul trouble disrupted the Warriors' defensive rhythm and allowed Indiana to stay in the game, and Golden State coughed up the ball 14 times, directly leading to 16 Pacers points.

Butler's Season So Far

Despite his all-around stat line, Butler couldn't deliver down the stretch.

With the game on the line and the Warriors clinging to a 107-106 lead, Butler threw down a thunderous dunk to tie the score at 109-all.

However, he missed the crucial free throw that would have given Golden State the lead, and Indiana's Pascal Siakam promptly hit a three-pointer on the next possession, essentially sealing the victory for the Pacers.

Through six games this season, Butler has looked like the impact player the Warriors hoped he would be when they sent Andrew Wiggins and a first-round pick to Miami. 

The Warriors will look to bounce back Tuesday when they host the Phoenix Suns at Chase Center. For Butler and the Warriors, the message is clear: talent alone won't cut it in the competitive Western Conference.