'Jimmy Butler III, a member of the Warriors, leaves game due to pelvic injury and prepares for MRI scan'
The Warriors' small forward, Jimmy Butler III, exited their playoff game against the Houston Rockets due to a pelvic contusion. He is scheduled to have an MRI exam on Thursday.
Following the Rockets' 109-94 victory, Golden State coach Steve Kerr stated, "Jimmy always says he's going to be fine. We have to wait to see with the MRI."
Butler fell hard to the ground with just under three minutes left in the first quarter. Rockets' guard Amen Thompson accidentally collided with Butler's legs while fighting for position in the paint with Warriors' forward Draymond Green.
Butler landed on his back and was injured. He remained in the game and made two free throws before leaving with 1:51 remaining in the quarter.
Kerr mentioned after the game that he had not yet seen the play, but his staff informed him that "there was some physicality on the rebound and I think Thompson just inadvertently found himself underneath Jimmy... We didn't think there was anything wrong with the play. It was just one of those things."
Butler played a crucial role in Golden State's Game 1 victory with 25 points. However, he only managed to score three points and grab two rebounds in the 7:52 minutes he played on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old veteran was acquired by the Warriors in February from the Miami Heat in a five-team trade. After Butler's debut, the Warriors improved from a 25-26 record to 23-8 for the rest of the regular season. Butler averaged 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists with his new team.
