Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler exited Friday night's matchup versus the Houston Rockets with an undisclosed injury.

Late in the third quarter, Butler attempted a pump fake move looking to pass the ball to a teammate before falling over, clutching his right knee in pain.

Prior to the incident, Butler scrambled for a rebound which ended in Nene tumbling backward onto his leg. The injury almost seemed like a delayed reaction or the Timberwolves guard aggravated the knee by making an immediate pivot move.

While the actual contact seemed very light, the injury itself appeared serious as Butler was unable to put pressure on the knee and had to be helped off the court by teammates.

The Timberwolves trailed the Rockets 68-79 at that juncture of the game, and are fighting to leave Houston with a win, albeit without their best player. Prior to his exit, Butler had amassed 10 points, five rebounds, three assists, and a steal for Minnesota.

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Butler had been splendid in leading the team to a breakout season. He has averages of 22.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, as the alpha among the Wolfpack.

Minnesota currently sits at the fourth spot in the Western Conference playoff race that has gotten tighter as the season matured. Their winning percentage is only a fraction less than the San Antonio Spurs, but they also have the Oklahoma City Thunder breathing down their neck with only 1.5 games behind them.

Butler's potential loss would loss certainly change the tide, but here's to hoping that the injury isn't as significant as it looked. It's worth mentioning though that he's been one of the most utilized players in the league, averaging 37.3 minutes nightly.