HOUSTON (AP) — Golden State’s Jimmy Butler suffered a pelvis bruise after a hard fall late in the first quarter, following a foul by Amen Thompson. He didn’t return to the game, and the Warriors went on to lose 109-94 to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.
Coach Steve Kerr said Butler will have an MRI on Thursday, and it’s still unclear if he’ll be able to play in Game 3 on Saturday.
“Jimmy always says he’s fine,” Kerr said. “But we’ll wait for the MRI results to know for sure.”
The injury happened when Thompson was pushed into Butler’s legs as Butler jumped for a rebound. Both players fell, but Butler stayed down longer. He eventually stood up, slowly walked to the free-throw line, made one of two shots, and was then subbed out and taken to the locker room.
Kerr said he doesn’t think Thompson meant to hurt Butler. “It was just one of those accidental plays,” he said.
Before his exit, Butler had three points and two rebounds. In Game 1, he led the team with 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in their 95-85 win.
Kerr said it’s too early to make decisions about Game 3 if Butler can’t play. “Hopefully Jimmy’s ready, but if not, we’ll explore our options and make a plan,” he said.
Also, Brandin Podziemski, who missed much of the first half due to a stomach issue, returned in the third quarter. Kerr said it was likely caused by something he ate, and Podziemski received an IV at halftime.
