Jimmy Butler battled through more than just the Houston Rockets defense at Chase Center on Monday night, with the Golden State Warriors star overcoming a pelvic contusion to lead his team to an incredibly crucial Game 4 victory.
Butler had 14 of his team-high 27 points in the fourth-quarter, including 11 of Golden State's last 14 points and five in the final minute as the hosts pulled out a 109-106 victory that gives them a decisive 3-1 series lead.
A Game 5 win could give Jimmy Butler and the Warriors some pivotal rest
The 6x All-Star was enormous down the stretch, but there's little doubt he was playing nowhere near 100% fitness. That's partly what the playoffs are about, yet not everyone is dealing with the sort of injury that Butler suffered just a matter of days ago.
Steve Kerr said during his post-game press conference that “if this were the regular season, he'd (Butler) probably miss another week or two." Veteran teammate Draymond Green said that Butler couldn't move for the first three-quarters, with that displayed toward the end of the first-half where he had to try and sprint the floor to chase Dillon Brooks in transition before fouling him from behind.
Butler has now been listed as probable for Game 5 back in Houston, though there's few that would think he's actually a chance of missing it after the fourth-quarter heroics on Monday. However, it does increase the importance of Wednesday's game as one that's much more than just a potentially series-clinching one.
The less basketball Butler and Golden State have to play, the better it will be for their chances moving forward. Getting significant rest time between series could be pivotal for the health of Butler and others, not to mention giving more time for the coaching staff to hone in and scout for the upcoming opponent.
On the other side of the bracket, the Minnesota Timberwolves can also clinch their first-round series with a win on the road against LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers. So in an ideal world for the Warriors, they beat the Rockets and the Lakers extend their series to at least a Game 6 back in Minnesota.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are already enjoying the spoils of a series sweep with a significant period of rest before preparing to face the winner of the Denver Nuggets-Los Angeles Clippers series. The Warriors can be the second Western Conference team to join them in the second-round of the playoffs with a Game 5 victory at Toyota Center.