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[Saba Sports News] Jimmy Butler’s night ended early on Wednesday after a nasty fall took him out of action.
The Golden State Warriors star was injured in the first quarter of Game 2 against the Houston Rockets. While going up for a defensive rebound, Butler was undercut by Rockets forward Amen Thompson and landed hard on his tailbone.
Video replays suggested that Thompson might have been inadvertently nudged into Butler’s path by Draymond Green.
Thompson was whistled for a loose ball foul, and Butler initially stayed in to shoot his free throws. But less than a minute later, he checked out and headed straight to the locker room. The Warriors later announced he would not return due to a pelvis contusion.
Butler wrapped up his night with just three points and two rebounds in eight minutes—a sharp contrast to his Game 1 stat line of 25 points, seven boards, six assists, and five steals. His absence was a clear blow for Golden State.
Despite the setback, the Warriors do have a cushion after stealing Game 1 on the road. With the series shifting back to the Bay Area for Games 3 and 4, the team will hope Butler can bounce back—though the fall was eerily similar to the one Steph Curry suffered last month.