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| Photo Source: Instagram/Jimmy Butler |
Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler suffered a scary fall during Game 2 against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, forcing him to leave the game with a pelvis contusion.
The injury happened late in the first quarter when Butler went up for a defensive rebound off a missed shot by Amen Thompson. As Thompson collided with him mid-air, Butler fell hard on his tailbone and was clearly in pain. Though he stayed in the game briefly and hit 1 of 2 free throws, he called to come out with 1:51 remaining in the quarter and limped to the locker room.
The Warriors later ruled him out for the rest of the game. According to the team, Butler will undergo an MRI on Thursday to assess the extent of the injury.
Before leaving, Butler had just 3 points and 2 rebounds in eight minutes of action. His presence was sorely missed as the Warriors fell 109-94 to the Rockets, tying the series at 1-1.
Butler has been a huge part of Golden State’s recent success. Since he joined the team on February 8, the Warriors have gone 25-8 across the regular season, play-in, and playoffs. He was a key factor in the Game 1 win in Houston, putting up 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals.
To add to the Warriors’ troubles, starting guard Brandin Podziemski also left early in the first half due to illness from something he ate. He played just eight minutes before being listed as questionable. Though he returned in the third quarter, he finished scoreless in 14 minutes.
The team had to rely on Jonathan Kuminga—who hadn’t played since the regular season finale—and rarely used guard Pat Spencer, who also saw some second-quarter minutes.
Game 3 now heads to San Francisco on Saturday with the series tied and uncertainty around Butler’s availability.