Jimmy Butler’s injury condition remains uncertain about Game 3 between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets after being diagnosed with deep glute force contempt after his fall in Game 2.
Despite concerns, NBA analyst Brian Windhorst is looking at a silver lining for warriors in this situation.
According to Windhorst, the good news is that Jimmy Butler avoided more serious injuries despite a serious fall.
Windhorst compared Butler’s situation to the devastating injury of Chetholmglen, who watched the Oklahoma City Thunderstar from November 2024 to February 2025 with a hip break.
“Ja Morant and Jimmy Butler had similar falls on consecutive nights. Butler went for the rebound and fell comfortably into a high pelvis,” Windhorst explained of the ESPN.
“So, Jimmy, I think it’s good that he didn’t break his hips or break his tailbone.
“So it’s good news that Jimmy Butler didn’t come out of this MRI with them saying he had broken hairlines like his pelvis.”
Windhorst noted that Butler’s average recovery time for injuries is about 5 days, and referenced an analysis of injuries expert Jeff Stotts.
“Jeff Stotts believes he has this incredible injury database, and his database (which probably will likely be Jimmy) is not usually a week on this,” Windhorst said.
This is not Butler’s first experience with this injury. He previously suffered glute humiliation during the 2023 playoffs and wanted the Warriors to have a similar recovery timeline this time.
Golden State desperately needs the presence of Butler on both ends of the floor if they want to overcome the rocket in this competitive playoff matchup.
His two-way impact has been crucial to the Warriors’ success this season, and his potential return timeline has been a key factor in the series’ outcome.
Warriors medical staff are likely to take a careful approach with star players, balancing the urgency of playoff basketball with the risk of exacerbating injuries.
If Butler misses Game 3, the Warriors will need an increase in production from the Supported Cast to fill in the important void left by the multipurpose stars.