Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler exited their Game 2 loss to the Houston Rockets due to a deep glute muscle contusion, but there is some optimism he'll be back for Game 3. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told ESPN there is a chance that Butler, who has been listed as questionable, won't be missing any games due to the injury.
"I'm relatively optimistic," Kerr said. "I mean, Jimmy is Jimmy. We know he's willing to play through anything, so we'll see. I mean, this is a day-to-day thing for sure, and we'll see how he feels tomorrow, but I think there's a chance he plays."
Kerr revealed Butler had been held out of practice. He also compared this injury to the one that Stephen Curry suffered against the Toronto Raptors on March 20.
"It's very similar," Kerr said. "So it's a pain tolerance thing, that's why he's day-to-day."
Curry ended up missing two games, but there is hope that Butler won't miss any. The 35-year-old had fallen hard on the court after Amen Thompson unintentionally undercut him when he'd gone up for a rebound.
Considering the impact of the fall, you feared the worst for Butler, but an MRI revealed there was no structural damage. The six-time All-Star will certainly feature in this series at some point, and that's great news for the Warriors, as they looked overmatched against the Rockets without him.
The Warriors won Game 1 95-85 thanks, in part, to Butler. He had 25 points (10-19 FG), seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals against the Rockets. Butler was a force on both ends, and he was sorely missed after he exited Game 2.
Butler left the game late in the first quarter after recording three points (1-2 FG) and two rebounds. The Warriors trailed 22-15 at that point and went on to lose 109-94, with the defeat tying up this series at 1-1.
If Butler does end up missing Game 3, it'd be hard to be optimistic about the Warriors holding on to home-court advantage in this series. They had snatched it by winning Game 1 in Houston, but the Rockets would be fancying their chances of reclaiming it if the veteran is out.
It was Butler who had completely changed the Warriors' fortunes since he arrived from the Miami Heat at the trade deadline. They went 23-7 with him in 2024-25 and 25-27 without. Simply put, the Warriors are one of the best teams in the league with Butler and a below-average one without him.
Jonathan Kuminga is likely to get a bigger role if Butler misses out, and his play in Game 2 did not fill anyone with confidence. Kuminga, who hadn't played a minute in Game 1, had 11 points (4-12 FG), three rebounds, two assists, and one block in Game 2. He'll have to step up in a big way if Butler doesn't play, for the Warriors to go 2-1 up.
Game 3 is at Chase Center on Saturday at 8:30 PM ET. Warriors fans would be hoping that Butler is good to go at tip-off.
