The Golden State Warriors had to play three quarters without Jimmy Butler in Game 2 against the Houston Rockets.
The six-time All-Star exited during the first quarter after falling hard on his tailbone in a collision with Amen Thompson. He remained on the floor in clear pain for some time before staying in the game, but he soon called to be taken out.
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After that, Butler immediately headed to the locker room, and he was ruled out for the rest of the Warriors’ 109-94 loss to Houston early in the second quarter due to a pelvis contusion.
Per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Butler is expected to undergo an MRI on Thursday. “Jimmy always says he’s fine,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game.
The Warriors also announced that guard Brandin Podziemski was questionable to return to the game due to an illness, but he later returned midway through the third quarter. Two starters exiting left head coach Steve Kerr digging deep in the Warriors’ bench, with 12 different players logging minutes by the time Butler was ruled out.
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That included Jonathan Kuminga, who fell out of the rotation for Game 1 but came back in soon after Butler’s exit.
Butler was a significant difference-maker in Game 1, with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals in a 95-85 Golden State win. That matched his regular-season impact, as the Warriors went 23-7 with Butler in the lineup after acquiring him from the Miami Heat at the trade deadline.
