Butler to Miss Warriors Game 3 vs Rockets

SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors’ key player, Jimmy Butler, will miss Game 3 of the team’s first-round playoff battle against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. This follows an unfortunate pelvis injury and significant gluteal muscle bruising due to a severe fall during Game 2.

Butler was scheduled to conduct his pregame preparations in privacy on the team’s practice court, away from the public eye at the Chase Center before games. After being injured in Houston, Butler underwent an MRI on Thursday in the Bay Area to assess the extent of his injuries.
In light of Butler’s absence, Jonathan Kuminga was named as a starter, marking his fourth career playoff start. Kuminga previously sat out three consecutive games before joining the rotation in Game 2 after Butler’s injury. The ongoing series is evenly matched at one game each, with the next two games scheduled at the Warriors’ home arena. Game 4 is set for Monday night.
The injury occurred late in the first quarter of Game 2 when Butler fell heavily after a foul by Amen Thompson, causing Butler to miss the remainder of the Warriors’ 109-94 defeat. Attempting to grab a rebound, Thompson’s undercut sent Butler flying, with the latter landing on his tailbone. This resulted in both players hitting the floor in a collision that left Butler visibly in pain. He managed to take two free throws before heading to the locker room.
Coach Steve Kerr was ready for any possible lineup changes, even considering Butler might play a restricted role. “That’s Plan C. We’ve got A and B lined up,” Kerr explained. “You witnessed Plan C the other night. When a player gets injured during the game, you improvise on the fly, but at least now we’ve had more time to strategize.”
In Game 1’s victory against the Rockets, Butler delivered an impressive performance, scoring 25 points off 10-for-19 shooting, collecting seven rebounds, distributing six assists, and securing five steals across 42 minutes. Since Butler’s debut with Golden State in Chicago on Feb. 8, the team boasts a strong 25-9 record, including a 23-8 mark in the regular season, a play-in tournament victory over Memphis, and the first two games against Houston.
Despite Butler’s absence in the previous game, Rockets coach Ime Udoka still planned on his participation in future matches. “We prepared all week for Butler to be part of the lineup, and obviously during the last game he was out, which allowed us to focus more on (Stephen) Curry and other key players,” Udoka stated. “We are preparing as though he will play. If he doesn’t, we’ll apply the adjustments used last game, focusing more on others. Of course, Butler adds a significant dynamic as a scorer and facilitator alongside Curry. He’s very crucial to them. Our approach assumes he’s playing.”