Jimmy Butler, a forward for the Golden State Warriors, was declared out of the game when he fell hard on his backside during Game 2 against the Houston Rockets.
On Wednesday night in Houston, the Warriors fell behind the Rockets 22-15 when Amen Thompson sliced Butler on a rebound attempt with 2:28 remaining in the first quarter. Butler writhed in agony after landing hard on his tailbone and staying down on the court at Toyota Center. Thompson’s third foul in the first quarter was a loose ball foul.
With 1:51 left in the quarter, Butler managed to get up carefully and hobbled to the free throw line, where he made one of two before leaving the game. He went directly to the locker room, avoiding the bench.
Before exiting the court after eight minutes of play, Butler scored three points (1-of-2 FG, 1-of-2 FT). A pelvic contusion later ruled him out.
One of the main plot points of the Warriors vs. Rockets first-round series has been physicality. On Wednesday’s broadcast, it was common to see Warriors coach Steve Kerr griping to the referees about refereeing.
“Houston is a great defense and a very physical team, so that’s a big part of the equation of this series,” Kerr said during the second quarter. “You have to handle it.”
In response to Butler’s exit, Kerr said “we will put Jonathan (Kuminga) in. We know he can play well against these guys and he’ll be able to attack the rim a little bit.”
