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The Golden State Warriors saw their postseason lives flash before their eyes when Jimmy Butler hit the floor during the first quarter of Game 2 vs. the Houston Rockets. After being undercut by Amen Thompson on a rebound attempt, Butler landed hard on his pelvis and writhed in pain on the floor. He was ruled out for the game, and the Rockets cruised to a 109-94 win, evening the series.
While an extended absence for Butler would completely alter the series, Steve Kerr said the six-time All-Star wasn't worried about his injury.
“Jimmy always says he's gonna be fine. But we have to wait to see what the MRI says,” Kerr told the Athletic's Anthony Slater.
Many Warriors fans were angry with Thompson's undercutting of Butler, arguing that it was a dirty play. However, Kerr said the Warriors players didn't feel that way.
Will Jimmy Butler's injury alter the course of Warriors-Rockets?
Thompson was battling Draymond Green for rebounding position before losing his balance and falling in Butler's direction.
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“I haven't seen the replay, but I asked our guys behind the bench, and they just said it looked like there was some physicality on the rebound, and Amen Thompson just inadvertently found himself underneath Jimmy based on the tug of war that was going on there,” Kerr said. “So we didn't think there was anything wrong with the play. It was just one of those plays.”
Jimmy Butler hit the ground hard after being undercut by Amen Thompson 😳 pic.twitter.com/Icd2wBF50U
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 24, 2025
Butler has fueled a dramatic Warriors turnaround after the team acquired him from the Miami Heat for Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Lindy Waters III and their 2025 first-round pick. Golden State posted a 23-8 record to close the regular season following the trade, ranking eighth in offense, first in defense and third in net rating (9.2).
Butler posted a team-high 38 points on 12-of-20 shooting with seven rebounds, six assists and three steals during the team's play-in win over the Memphis Grizzlies. He added 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting with seven rebounds, six assists and five steals during a Game 1 win over the Rockets.
However, the Warriors struggled to find their footing during Game 2 amid Butler's absence. They shot 33-of-80 (41.3 percent) from the field with 15 turnovers. Stephen Curry posted 20 points while converting just 6-of-15 field goal attempts.
Meanwhile, Jalen Green bounced back from his Game 1 struggles, lighting up Golden State's defense for 38 points on 13-of-25 shooting from the field and 8-of-18 from three.
“Houston played great,” Kerr said. “They were really physical, just like we expected. They came out with amazing force defensively. And obviously [Jalen] Green got going and that loosened our defense up quite a bit. So it was their night. They played a great game on both ends of the floor, and we just gotta lick our wounds and get back to work tomorrow.”
Game 3 between the Warriors and Rockets is set for Saturday at 8:30 PM EST in Golden State. Butler's injury status will be the main storyline entering the matchup.
