Jimmy Butler Injury: “We Won’t Take Any Risks”
Lower back pain for Jimmy Butler: Golden State now fears they may have to do without him during a long road trip
It was a bittersweet night for the Golden State Warriors – their 118–107 win over the Phoenix Suns was overshadowed by Butler’s early exit due to a lower back injury.
The issue had already surfaced after Saturday’s loss in Indianapolis, but the coaching staff still decided to give him minutes against the Suns. Butler, listed as questionable before the game, went through his usual warm-up about an hour and a half before tip-off and was cleared to play.
However, his condition was clearly far from ideal: in 14 first-half minutes, he scored just two points on 1-for-5 shooting, adding four rebounds and two assists.
The Warriors’ number 22 was subbed out with just over seven minutes left in the second quarter and headed to the locker room, never returning to the floor. The team officially announced his unavailability at the start of the third period.
We won’t take any risks
Steve Kerr
Despite the setback, Butler had shown remarkable physical consistency since joining San Francisco last February, appearing in 30 of the last 31 regular-season games and missing only one playoff matchup – after a hard fall on his tailbone during the series against Houston.
Until this pause, Butler had played in all eight of the Warriors’ games to start the new season. Now, the top priority will be recovery: Golden State is set to take the court again Wednesday in Sacramento, before embarking on a tough stretch with eight of their next nine games on the road.