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Jimmy Butler Injury Spells Tough Stretch for the Warriors
The Golden State Warriors dropped their Game 2 clash with the Houston Rockets, and it turned out to be one of the most crucial losses as not did they only lose the game in a whopping 109-94 score, but they also lost Jimmy Butler when the game has barely started – now raising a possibility that they may be shorthanded heading into Game 3. Butler only played eight minutes in the Game 2 loss for the Warriors and did not return after he made an exit in the first quarter. This forced the rotation for Golden State coach Steve Kerr – opting to put Jonathan Kuminga for more minutes in Butler’s stead. The Warriors have gone 0-3 whenever the latter plays more than 20 minutes – and he played 26 minutes in the loss. It can be remembered that Butler dropped an efficient 25 points on 10-19 shooting in the Warriors Game 1 win, along with seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals – showing just why he has been important for the Warriors in their second-half turnaround. With his status now uncertain, it seems that the Warriors will have some tough challenges moving forward against this gritty Houston squad. Butler’s Untimely Injury Butler suffered a pelvis contusion after taking a hard fall when he was fouled by Rockets guard Amen Thompson late in the first quarter. It appeared that Thompson pulled down Butler in an attempt to grab a rebound, but further review showed that the Houston guard was inadvertently pushed coming off multiple players and was falling down when he also accidentally grabbed Butler’s legs on the way down. In the resulting play, Butler fell on his tailbone, to which he grabbed as soon as he got up. The Warriors forward walked to the other end of the court while obviously in pain, shooting one of his two free throws before he was later taken out of the game and immediately went to the locker room. Later in the game, it was revealed that Butler did indeed suffer an injury and would not return for the rest of the game. He is slated to have an MRI exam today. Butler finished with three points and two rebounds before he left the game. The Warriors also had another injury problem in Brandin Podziemski, who left the game in the first quarter with a stomach ailment. While it is not serious, Kerr already said before the game that the guard was struggling with a stomach problem because of the recent food he ate. Life Without Butler In the aftermath of Butler’s exit, the Warriors were outscored 28-18 in the first quarter, and the Rockets went on to plow through Golden State for the rest of the game. The Warriors stayed within striking distance but could not claim the lead with the lack of offense – mostly stemming from Butler. Stephen Curry struggled to score and finished with 20 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. The supporting cast for the Warriors also struggled as a result, with Moses Moody and Quinten Post scoring 12 points each. Kuminga, who took over Butler’s minutes in the rotation, finished with 11 points on 4-12 shooting. He did not play the final game of the season against the Los Angeles Clippers, nor did he log minutes in the Play-In win against the Memphis Grizzlies and in Game 1 against the Rockets. Without Butler, it seems that Kerr’s rotation will be forced to come up with an inclusion for Kuminga. Considering that the Warriors have not won in any game where he played more than 20 minutes, maybe the four-time champion coach will find a way to keep the Warriors in the series.
