Without Jimmy Butler, the Golden State Warriors could have to strive to win one or two postseason games.
ESPN’s Shams Charania detailed the severity of the Warriors star’s injury on Thursday. Due to a significant glute muscle contusion, Butler’s availability for Saturday night’s Game 3 against the Houston Rockets is reportedly in “serious jeopardy.”
Charania clarifies, though, that Butler’s diagnosis is a “best case” scenario. This is because an MRI showed that Butler did not sustain any structural injury, including a fracture.
During the Warriors’ Game 2 defeat to the Rockets on Wednesday, the six-time All-Star Butler sustained an injury. Amen Thompson of Houston undercut him as he was going up for a defensive rebound, sending him crashing to the floor and landing on his tailbone (see the video here). After suffering an injury in the first quarter, Butler was unable to play again, and Golden State lost 109-94.
This past February, Golden State made a historic trade to get Butler. Before Butler’s debut, the Warriors were a club that finished below.500, but his entrance gave them a huge boost, and they ended the regular season with a blazing 23-8 record, finishing 48-34 overall.
Golden State secured homecourt advantage in the first-round playoff series by defeating Houston in Game 1 to take care of business on the road. However, the Warriors might lose Butler, their two-way talisman, now that they are playing at home for the next two games.
