Golden State got hit with a double whammy in Game 2 of their Western Conference first round battle with the no. 2 seed Houston Rockets.
Not only did the Warriors absorb a 109-94 defeat, but they lost superstar Jimmy Butler due to a pelvic contusion.
[ALSO READ: Jalen Green, Rockets pounce on early Jimmy Butler exit to knot series vs Warriors at 1-1]
With this, Butler’s availability for Game 3 – and at worst for the remainder of the series – was put into question... but not for head coach Steve Kerr just yet.
“I think it’s too early for me to even talk about [it]. We need to watch the film and figure out what our plan is going to be,” Kerr told reporters on his star player’s status heading to the next contest in San Francisco on Sunday (PH time), April 27 with the series tied at one-game apiece.
Butler suffered a hard fall on his back in a collision with Amen Thompson late in the first quarter.
Thompson was then called for a loose ball foul, prompting the 35-year-old to limp his way to the free throw line where he made one of two before exiting the game for good with 1:51 seconds left.
He’s scheduled to have an MRI exam tomorrow, April 25.
Jimmy Butler hit the ground hard after being undercut by Amen Thompson 😳
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 24, 2025
"Hopefully, he’s OK. We’ll see. … Jimmy always says he’s going to be fine. But we have to wait and see with the MRI,” Kerr spoke.
He was also quick to defend Thompson, noting that the play appeared accidental.
“We didn’t think there was anything wrong with the play. It was just one of those plays,” the 59-year-old tactician insisted.
He added: “This is the playoffs. It’s an incredibly physical sport… stuff happens and people get injured and it’s all part of it.”
But the four-time champion coach is bracing for the best and the worst case scenarios on Butler, who had 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals in a Game 1 win.
“Hopefully Jimmy will be able to play. But if not we have to go through our options and put together a plan,” Kerr added. “If Jimmy's out, we have to rethink everything like rotations, who starts and [what’s] the best combinations and all kinds of stuff,” he emphasized.
"If Jimmy's out, we have to rethink everything"
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 24, 2025
Steve Kerr on Golden State's rotations if Butler is out for extended time
