Less than 10 minutes into Wednesday night’s playoff game, the Warriors’ postseason run may have taken a serious blow. Jimmy Butler III went down hard, limped off the court in pain, and Golden State’s future suddenly looked uncertain.
Butler managed to make it to the free-throw line before heading straight to the locker room with what’s being called a pelvic contusion. And while he left without needing help, the way he walked off told a different story. That injury cast a heavy shadow over the Warriors’ 109-94 loss to the Rockets in Game 2.
This wasn’t just any loss. Sure, it evens the series at 1-1, but it felt bigger than that. Butler’s status now hangs over the team like a cloud, and fans can’t help but feel like they’re back in that grim December-January stretch when nothing was clicking.
Coach Steve Kerr didn’t sugarcoat it either. “If Jimmy’s out, we have to rethink everything.”
And it’s true. Butler’s arrival at the trade deadline turned the season around. When he joined in February, the Warriors were 25-26 and going nowhere fast. Since then, they’ve gone 25-9, with Butler and Steph Curry lighting up defenses and pushing the team back into playoff form.
But now, without Butler, everything shifts. Draymond Green said it straight: “Replacing Jimmy, obviously, we all know what he’s meant to this team… so that will have to change.”
The Warriors kept fighting after Butler exited, but it was clear the energy had shifted. The Rockets, already in rhythm, kicked into high gear. Houston’s Jalen Green caught fire, dropping 38 points—33 of those after Butler left with 1:51 to go in the first quarter.
“Anytime you lose one of your best players, top dogs, it’s tough to overcome,” Green said. “But we probably did a good job giving ourselves a chance.”
The Rockets were aggressive all night, especially on Curry, who finished with 20 points on 6-of-15 shooting. Jonathan Kuminga, making his first appearance since April 11, chipped in with 12, but the offense didn’t flow like it has with Butler running the show.
Now Golden State’s in a tough spot. Butler’s absence could open minutes for players like Kuminga, but it’s not ideal. The Curry-Butler duo has been the engine of this team’s revival, and without that combo, things get rocky fast.
Curry, trying to stay hopeful, said, “I don’t want to talk too much about it; he could be back next game.”
Still, he knows the load is on him if Butler can’t go. “If, for whatever reason, he’s not out there, I’ll carry a lot of the lift… The rest is just trying to make the simple play, not turn the ball over, hit the open guy… Normal basketball.”
But the Warriors weren’t playing anything close to “normal basketball” before Butler came along. That’s exactly why GM Mike Dunleavy brought him in. He changed the game.
Butler says he’s fine—but that’s what players always say. If he is, the Warriors are still in this. If not, they may have just taken their last real shot this season.
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