Jimmy Butler is listed as questionable for Saturday’s Game 3 against the Houston Rockets with a pelvic and deep gluteal muscle contusion, the Golden State Warriors announced Friday.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed cautious optimism about Butler’s availability just two days after the forward took a hard fall when Rockets guard Amen Thompson undercut him during a rebound attempt in the first quarter of Game 2.
“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.”
Butler underwent an MRI on Thursday that revealed no structural damage, though sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania that the star forward remains in “serious jeopardy” of missing Game 3. Butler was held out of the Warriors’ practice on Friday, which consisted of a film session followed by approximately 30 minutes of shooting and station work.
The injury occurred when Butler went up for a defensive rebound off Thompson’s missed shot. Thompson and Draymond Green were battling for position before Thompson collided with Butler, causing him to crash down on his tailbone area. Butler played just eight minutes before leaving the game.
Kerr compared Butler’s injury to the pelvic contusion Stephen Curry suffered on March 20, which caused Curry to miss two games. “It’s very similar,” Kerr said. “So it’s a pain tolerance thing, that’s why he’s day-to-day.”
Butler’s potential absence would be a significant blow to the Warriors, who have gone 25-9 since his February 8 debut. He was instrumental in Golden State’s Game 1 victory in Houston, recording 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals.
Without Butler in Game 2, the Warriors lost 109-94, allowing the Rockets to even the first-round playoff series at 1-1.
Jonathan Kuminga could see an expanded role if Butler cannot play on Saturday. Kuminga scored 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting in 26 minutes during Game 2 after falling out of the rotation since the regular-season finale.