The Warriors expect six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler will return from his deep gluteal muscle contusion in Game 4 of their ongoing series against Houston, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). A source informs Slater that Butler partook in an oncourt workout ahead of the team’s eventual Game 3 victory against Houston on Saturday. He was held out so that his body could better recuperate, but the team is hoping he will return for Game 4 on Monday.
Butler suffered the ailment during a scary fall early into Game 2, and has been sidelined ever since. Without him, Golden State has gone 1-1.
On Saturday, ESPN’s Shams Charania indicated to colleague Malika Andrews (Twitter video link) that Butler had had “no mobility” on Saturday, which ultimately led to the team’s decision to sit him.
Head coach Steve Kerr, meanwhile, indicated that he considers Butler officially day-to-day, and has no idea whether or not Butler will play, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (via Twitter).
There’s more out of Golden State:
- With Butler shelved, Warriors guard Buddy Hield stepped up to help the club secure a Game 3 home win, Slater writes in another piece. An eight-point Hield run in the second quarter helped stabilize Golden State heading into the halftime break. He ultimately finished with 17 points and a plus-14 across 29 minutes of action. “I knew Robin was out, so I had to step up,” Hield said, in an allusion to Butler’s repeated suggestion that he is the Robin to All-NBA guard Stephen Curry‘s Batman. “I had to be Alfred.”
- Stephen Curry was the star of the show for the Warriors in Game 3 on Saturday, per Youngmisuk in another article. The two-time league MVP took it upon himself to score more against a tough Rockets defense, notching 25 of his 36 total points in the second and third quarters to propel his team to a 104-93 victory. “He’s one [of the] greatest players of all time,” Kerr said. “He’s 37. He’s one of the most well-conditioned athletes I’ve ever seen in my life. To play 41 minutes against that kind of defense, to have a slow start and then find his rhythm, which we have seen him do countless times over the years, to hit big shots, to only turn it over twice against that kind of pressure, he was brilliant.”
- In case you missed it, Rockets forward Dillon Brooks defended teammate Amen Thompson‘s play against Butler that led to his injury.
I have a feeling the Rockets are going to come out with a very physical game on Monday. They’re not going let some 37-year-old senior citizen beat them again.
They will also try to get into Greymond’s head for technical fouls.
The problem is that the Warriors are better at the cat and mouse game than the young Rockets are. Warriors have been here 100 times and for many of these rockets it’s the first time on this stage.
Any uptick in bumping and bruising will backfire in the Rocket’s lap and they’ll crash and burn again, as in game three.
Gary, did you not see the post-game scuffle? Draymond and Steph are already way, way, way far inside their heads. G3 was Houston’s chance to prove that wasn’t true, and they failed by every metric. Now Jimmy comes back and GSW goes from being second round exit to legit title contenders again.
Remember when posters on here said the Dubs window was closed? Nope, we got 5+ years left of this!
They already been trying to get Green kicked out but so far it has cost them. Brooks tried to injure Curry by going after his bad thumb. Will they go after Butler and try to knock him to the ground. Rockets are in desperation mode.
Steph Curry really is the best player of all-time. There’s no argument. He stopped the bleeding of the prior game and in the first half of G3 and singlehandedly won G3. At 37.
He’s not even slowing down. Now there’s another legit 2nd star (Jimmy) next to Steph, instead of a phony one (Wiggins), they are back to 2017 vibes again. If they keep everyone and get Melton again, they are going to win 70+ next year.
This is a joke, right? I love curry as much as anyone but he wasn’t even the best player on two of his championship teams. I’ll take it as a given that you’re just ridiculously hyperbolic.
Steph was absolutely the most important and best player on all 4 of his title-winning teams. Anyone who believes otherwise simply does not know ball.
Source:
Stephen Curry was double-teamed 40 times vs KD’s 2 in the 2018 NBA Finals.
Good night.
Dubs in 6! Butler returning will add more fuel for the Warriors to handle business.
It’s a very hard series to root for either team…
I know you don’t like Butler too much and I think everyone on the planet, including a lot of warrior fans like me can’t stand Greymond.
But you have to respect a player like Curry who is self-made and was not a super athlete coming into the league. And the coach is very respectable isn’t he? Where do you stand on those two?
Curry is a top 10 player of all time and a top 3 most likable. You’re blessed to have had him on your team all these years. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love Steph curry.
Sounds like Davey has a new alias.
“Curry who is self-made”
I’m not 100% sure what you mean by this but his father literally played in the NBA. Steph is the opposite of self-made in that regard.
It’s way past time for GSW to get some fair officiating in a game in this series. I hope it finally happens in game 4.
If Jimmy plays, he’ll get a lot of his phantom calls in game four.
Best thing Warriors did. Was take out Jalen. He wasn’t going for 30 again. Green has to adjust. If he gets 20. Its a different game. Warriors team D was better. And Curry showed up big. No one player wins anything in the playoffs. Udoka has to find a way to get Green going. Rockets missed a great opportunity to get a win. Now they are going to have to earn it the hard way.
Warriors getting the Classic Jimmy Butler experience already. The big games and the vague playoff injury.
Aint nothing vague about that injury man. We all watched him fall right on his @ss!