The Golden State Warriors have relied on Jimmy Butler down the stretch of the NBA season.

At one point, the Warriors were the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference, but a trade for Butler turned their season around.

With Butler in the lineup, the Warriors turned into one of the elite teams in the NBA. Not only did Butler add the defensive and veteran toughness that Andrew Wiggins just didn’t bring, he helped free up superstar guard Stephen Curry for more open opportunities.

Apr 15, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) talks with forward Jimmy Butler III (10) during a break in the action against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second quarter at the Chase Center.

© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Jimmy Butler exits with injury

Things didn’t change once the Warriors hit the NBA Play-In Tournament. After losing two of their last three, the Warriors needed a win against the Memphis Grizzlies to avoid another play-in game.

That’s when Butler rose to the occasion. While Curry supplied his usual late-game heroics, Butler scored a game-high 38 points to help them clinch the No. 7 seed.

He was also an integral part of their Game 1 win over the Houston Rockets.

But with 2:28 to go in the first quarter, Amen Thompson made contact with Butler while going for a rebound that upended Butler and caused a hard fall and an apparent tail bone injury.

Butler, who was visibly agitated by the injury, exited the game and went back into the locker room for further examination.

Golden State has counted on Butler to carry the offensive load at times, so any time without the playoff-experienced guard hurts, especially if the games are going to be low-scoring like in Game 1.

Warriors fans will hold their breath while they await an update on Butler’s status.