Why is Jimmy Butler not playing tonight against Rockets? Warriors' decision on star forward explored
It appears that Jimmy Butler won't be available for the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of their first-round series matchup against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. The Warriors and Rockets are currently tied 1-1 in their seven-game series so Game 3 should be a deciding factor in who takes control of the matchup.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, their new star guard Butler will not take the court due to a serious injury. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Jimmy suffered from a deep glute muscle contusion, which will force Golden State to sit him out.
Jimmy Butler acquired the injury in Game 2. The star guard fell hard on the floor during the first quarter, which forced him to sit out the rest of the game. Butler’s absence after nearly eight minutes of play resulted in the Golden State Warriors struggling against the Houston Rockets.
As of this writing, there aren’t any reports on Butler’s availability beyond Game 3. Thankfully, Shams Charania also reported that Jimmy’s MRI showed that he avoided any fracture or structural damage. This means that he could make his return as early as Game 4 or as late as Game 5. Hopefully, his injury won’t be upgraded into something worse.
Who is replacing Jimmy Butler on Warriors against Rockets?
With Jimmy Butler out of the picture, some might be wondering who will replace the star guard in the starting lineup. According to Shams Charania, Jonathan Kuminga will be getting the start on Saturday. With more minutes under his belt in Game 3, Kuminga now has the opportunity to contribute more in the playoffs.
Looking at Kuminga’s previous performance in Game 2, he put up 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and one block. While they were solid numbers for someone who only played 26 minutes, his offensive production was slightly lower than his usual. Given he’ll have more playing time in Game 3, we might see a much more aggressive Kuminga up against the Houston Rockets.
Game 3 is a must-win for the Golden State Warriors as Saturday’s game will be a tiebreaker. Whoever wins the game will gain all the momentum and set the tone for Game 4 and beyond. If the Warriors end up losing, they’d better hope Jimmy Butler would be ready to make his return to help restore balance in the series.