Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III suffered what was diagnosed as a pelvic contusion during the first quarter of his team’s Game 2 loss to the Houston Rockets. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
For the second consecutive postseason, Golden State Warriors wing Jimmy Butler III is dealing with an injury. Originally thought to be a tailbone injury, Butler was diagnosed with a pelvic contusion and didn’t return to Game 2 of his team’s first-round series against the Houston Rockets.
The former Miami Heat star, acquired in a blockbuster five-team trade on Feb. 6, has been everything the Warriors could’ve hoped for when they pulled the trigger on the deal. Golden State entered Wednesday’s playoff game with a 25-7 record with Butler in the lineup but watched him hit the floor hard after being run into by Rockets wing Amen Thompson while chasing down a rebound with 2:28 left in the first quarter.
Butler hobbled off to the locker room and didn’t return. The injury isn’t feared to be as significant as the MCL sprain suffered late in the first half of last April’s play-in loss to the Philadelphia 76ers that eventually ended his 2023-24 season.
Butler appeared to tweak his right knee in Philadelphia but stayed in that game despite not feeling 100 percent. An MRI would later reveal the full extent of his injury. Just over 370 days later, he’s again awaiting similar results.
Initial x-rays showed no major damage, but an MRI he’s scheduled to undergo in the Bay Area on Thursday after staying in Houston with the Warriors overnight will provide more clarity. Teammates Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were cautiously optimistic that if he’s able to play, he’ll be out there alongside them.
Head coach Steve Kerr, who called Thompson’s foul “inadvertent,” is hoping for the best but prepared to adjust if Butler misses games in order to recover.
“If Jimmy is out, we have to rethink everything, like rotations, who starts, best combinations and all that stuff,” Kerr said. “This is the playoffs. It’s an incredibly physical sport. Stuff happens, people get injured and it’s all part of it. There’s no time to lament anything. You can feel bad for your player but you have to move on to what’s next.
“Hopefully, Jimmy will be able to play, but if he can’t, we’ve got to go through our options and put together a plan.”
Tony Mejia is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at [email protected]
Published 10 Minutes Ago|Modified 10:34 AM EDT
