There's a big update on the status of Jimmy Butler after the Golden State Warriors star suffered a nasty fall and had to leave Wednesday night's Game 2 against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.
Butler was undercut by Amen Thompson on a rebound attempt late in the first-quarter, with the veteran forward taking his subsequent free-throws but exiting shortly after and not returning with what the Warriors called a pelvic contusion.
In the absence of their second star, Golden State unsurprisingly struggled to generate enough offense in what resulted as a 109-94 defeat that has the series tied at 1-1 heading back to the Bay.
Jimmy Butler's availability for Game 3 is in 'serious jeopardy'
Fortunately for the Warriors, an MRI has cleared Butler of any structural damage according to ESPN's Shams Charania on Thursday. A fracture would have been the worst outcome for the franchise, and likely would have seen him out for the remainder of the playoffs.
However, the 35-year-old's status for Game 3 is still in question, with Charania reporting that Butler's availibility for Sunday's matchup at Chase Center is in 'serious jeapordy'. NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that Butler is expected to be officially listed as questionable, having been diagnosed with a deep glute contusion.
Golden State's Jimmy Butler has been diagnosed with a deep glute muscle contusion and his status for Game 3 against the Houston Rockets is in serious jeopardy, league sources tell ESPN. This is best case because MRI showed Butler avoided any fracture or structural damage. pic.twitter.com/nTEjv4QKp7
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 25, 2025
Clearly Butler's status will be a huge factor in Golden State's chances of taking a 2-1 lead in the series, with the 6x All-Star helping his team to victory in Game 1 with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals in the 95-85 victory.
Butler's exit on Wednesday allowed for Jonathan Kuminga to return to the rotation after three-straight DNPs dating back to the regular season finale against the L.A. Clippers. The fourth-year forward didn't quite take the opportunity with both hands, having shot just 4-of-12 from the floor and recording 11 points, three rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes off the bench.
Steve Kerr began bigger in the second-half with Quinten Post in the starting group, while Gary Payton II was also there as second-year guard Brandin Podziemski battled illness. After going 4-of-7 from beyond the arc as part of 12 second-half points, Post is perhaps the most likely player to replace Butler in the starting lineup should the 35-year-old miss Game 3.
However, that's also going to require some defensive adjustments from Kerr after the rookie center found himself out on an island and vulnerable against Rockets guards Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet on multiple occassions during Wednesday's game.
Prior to the Game 2 loss, Butler had scored 24 points or more in five-straight games as 'Playoff Jimmy' started to materialize in a way the Warriors had envisioned when they traded for him in early February.