Warriors Notes: Butler, Hield, Curry
The Warriors expect six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler will return from his deep gluteal muscle contusion in Game 4 of their ongoing series against Houston, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). A source informs Slater that Butler took part in an on-court workout ahead of the team’s eventual Game 3 victory against Houston on Saturday. He was held out so that his body could better recuperate, but the team is hoping he will return for Game 4 on Monday.
Butler suffered the injury during a scary fall early into Game 2, and has been sidelined ever since. Golden State has gone 1-1 without him.
On Saturday, ESPN’s Shams Charania told colleague Malika Andrews (Twitter video link) that Butler had “no mobility” on Saturday, which ultimately led to the team’s decision to sit him.
Head coach Steve Kerr, meanwhile, indicated that he considers Butler officially day-to-day, and has no idea whether or not the star forward will play, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (via Twitter).
There’s more out of Golden State:
- With Butler shelved, Warriors guard Buddy Hield stepped up to help the club secure a Game 3 home win, Slater writes in another piece. An eight-point Hield run in the second quarter helped stabilize Golden State heading into the halftime break. He ultimately finished with 17 points and a plus-14 mark across 29 minutes of action. “I knew Robin was out, so I had to step up,” Hield said, referencing Butler’s repeated suggestion that he is the Robin to All-NBA guard Stephen Curry‘s Batman. “I had to be Alfred.”
- Stephen Curry was the star of the show for the Warriors in Game 3 on Saturday, Youngmisuk writes for ESPN.com. The two-time league MVP took it upon himself to score more against a tough Rockets defense, notching 25 of his 36 total points in the second and third quarters to propel his team to a 104-93 victory. “He’s one [of the] greatest players of all time,” Kerr said. “He’s 37. He’s one of the most well-conditioned athletes I’ve ever seen in my life. To play 41 minutes against that kind of defense, to have a slow start and then find his rhythm, which we have seen him do countless times over the years, to hit big shots, to only turn it over twice against that kind of pressure, he was brilliant.”
- In case you missed it, Rockets forward Dillon Brooks defended teammate Amen Thompson‘s play on Butler that led to his injury.
Heat Notes: Game 3 Loss, Starting Lineup, Ware, Herro
The Heat were hoping to make their series against the top-seeded Cavaliers competitive after a close call Wednesday at Cleveland. Instead, they suffered the worst playoff loss in franchise history on Saturday and are staring at a likely insurmountable 3-0 deficit, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Miami built an early 15-6 lead, but things fell apart quickly as the Cavs strung together a 33-5 run to put the game out of reach. The lead got up to 40 points in the second half as Miami fans expressed their displeasure with the effort.
“Once we jumped on them at the start of the game, then they just took control of it from there and it became an avalanche going the other direction,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And sometimes when you care, there’s a level of discouragement that kind of fed into that avalanche and that’s what we all feel disappointed about.”
The Cavaliers dominated the game near the basket, registering 11 dunks and outscoring Miami 60-30 in the paint. Cleveland also collected 13 offensive rebounds while building a 22-10 advantage in second-chance points and had a 21-11 edge in points off turnovers.
“I know how much everybody cares,” Spoelstra added. “We just laid an egg today. A big part of it was Cleveland.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Davion Mitchell replaced Alec Burks in the starting lineup for Game 2, and Spoelstra went with the same approach on Saturday, Chiang adds. The starting five kept the game even during their 13 minutes together, but Miami was outscored by 37 points otherwise. Chiang notes that Cleveland was relentless in its attack on rookie center Kel’el Ware, who is minus-24 in 57 minutes so far in the series. “I understand he’s being fed through a fire hose,” Spoelstra said. “… We’re coaching him hard and I feel for him because there’s an expectation that he has to be there like a vet. These are important learning experiences.”
- In an interview with Jared Weiss of The Athletic, Tyler Herro speculates that Miami’s season would have turned out much better if Jimmy Butler hadn’t forced a trade. Butler, who played just 25 games with the Heat this season before being dealt to Golden State in February, provided Herro with a complementary offensive weapon. “Obviously, I know I need Jimmy to win. If we had Jimmy right now, I feel like it’d be a completely different situation,” Herro said. “We probably wouldn’t even be the eighth seed. So finding that middle balance of like, damn, we need him, but also understanding, sh–, that’s his career and what he wants is ultimately his right to want what he wants. It was just tough to be in the middle of both sides.”
- Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson commented on this week’s war of words between Herro and Darius Garland, Weiss tweets. “I don’t control what they say at all,” Atkinson said. “… Tyler is a great player, he’s an All-Star. Great competitor on both ends, much like Darius. It’s like the playground, you got someone you’re going at at both ends and there’s some verbal stuff that’s overblown. But once the ball goes up, none of it matters.”
Warriors’ Jimmy Butler To Miss Game 3
Jimmy Butler will be inactive tonight as the Warriors host the Rockets in Game 3 of their playoff series, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Butler is recovering from a deep gluteal muscle contusion that knocked him out of Game 2 in the first quarter.
Butler had been listed as questionable and was expected to be a game-time decision. With his status leaking more than an hour before tip-off, he may not have been close to getting medical clearance from the training staff.
Butler was a huge presence in Golden State’s Game 1 win at Houston, finishing with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals in 42 minutes. He only played eight minutes in Game 2 before landing hard on his back after a collision with the Rockets’ Amen Thompson (Twitter video link).
On Friday, coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Butler is “day-to-day” and described it as a “pain tolerance thing.” Butler tried to stay in Game 2 after the hard fall, but was in obvious discomfort and had difficulty moving.
Game 4 is set for Monday, so Butler will have just one more night off to recover.
Jonathan Kuminga will take Butler’s place in the starting lineup tonight, Charania adds. The fourth-year forward sat out the Warriors’ play-in game and the series opener, but he was on the court for 26 minutes in Game 2 after Butler’s injury, contributing 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting and hitting two of his five three-point attempts.
Kuminga will get another chance to impress Warriors management before becoming a restricted free agent this summer. He averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 47 games this season, but saw his playing time drop sharply after Butler was acquired at the trade deadline.
Rookie center Quinten Post will also start, according to Charania (Twitter link). Post hit 4-of-8 three-point shots in Game 2 and finished with 12 points in 25 minutes.
Western Notes: Brooks, Thompson, Green, Kuminga, Pelicans, Grizzlies
Rockets forward Dillon Brooks took exception to the idea that teammate Amen Thompson could be viewed as a dirty player for the play that injured Warriors star Jimmy Butler in Game 2 of the Houston/Golden State series. Asked about the subject on Friday, Brooks suggested that Butler’s teammate Draymond Green was more to blame, as Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press relays.
“I think the dirty player is Draymond, giving him a little push as regular basketball players do,” Brooks said. “And Jimmy’s fighting in the air for a rebound and stuff happens. Amen’s not a dirty player. He has (nothing) to do with being a dirty player.”
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after Game 2 that he and the Warriors “didn’t think there was anything wrong with the play,” suggesting that it was unfortunate but unintentional. Kerr and his players didn’t think much of Brooks’ claim about Green, given the reputation that the Rockets forward has earned himself over the years.
“Dillon said that? Interesting,” Kerr replied when informed of Brooks’ remarks.
“It’s a little ironic, isn’t it?” Moses Moody said of Brooks’ comments, per ESPN.
We have more from around the Western Conference:
- If Butler is forced to miss Game 3 as a result of his pelvic injury, will the Warriors lean on Jonathan Kuminga as his primary replacement? Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle weighs that question, given that Kuminga had been out of the rotation for three games and made just 4-of-12 shots from the field in his return to action on Wednesday. Anthony Slater of The Athletic also touches on that topic in a story with Kelly Iko of The Athletic that explores the keys to the series going forward.
- In addition to the front office members reported earlier this week to be departing the Pelicans amid a basketball operations shake-up, veteran scout Chico Averbuck, who has been with the team since 2020, is leaving the organization, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Averbuck had strong ties to former head of basketball operations David Griffin, Scotto notes, having also worked with Griffin in Cleveland.
- The Grizzlies were left searching for answers after blowing a 29-point first half lead and losing Game 3 to Oklahoma City on Thursday. Scotty Pippen Jr. said the game – which also included a Ja Morant hip injury – was “definitely frustrating,” while Santi Aldama, asked if it was the worst loss he has ever experienced, replied, “It would be hard to find another one like this.” William Guillory of The Athletic has the full story, with more quotes.
Injury Notes: Butler, Garland, Heat, Bucks
Warriors swingman Jimmy Butler has been listed as questionable to play on Saturday vs. Houston and was referred to by head coach Steve Kerr on Friday as “day-to-day,” according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Kerr isn’t ruling out the possibility of Butler suiting up for Game 3.
“I’m relatively optimistic,” Kerr said. “I mean, Jimmy is Jimmy. We know he’s willing to play through anything, so we’ll see. I mean, this is a day-to-day thing for sure, and we’ll see how he feels tomorrow, but I think there’s a chance he plays.”
Kerr noted Butler’s injury is “very similar” to the one Stephen Curry suffered in March, which cost the Warriors star two games.
“It’s a pain tolerance thing, that’s why he’s day-to-day,” Kerr added.
Butler isn’t the only Warrior whose status for Saturday’s contest is up in the air. Veteran guard Gary Payton II has been listed as questionable due to a right shoulder strain after averaging just under 14 minutes per night in the first two games of the series, Youngmisuk notes.
The good news for Golden State is that guard Brandin Podziemski isn’t listed on the injury report after being limited to 14 minutes in Game 2 due to an illness. Podziemski said he’s ready to go for Game 3.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland is listed as questionable to play in Game 3 vs. Miami on Saturday due to a big toe sprain on his left foot, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Garland has averaged 24.0 points and 7.0 assists per night in the first two games of the series, both Cleveland wins.
- Heat big man Kevin Love (personal reasons) and guard Terry Rozier (left ankle sprain) will remain out for Game 3 on Saturday, but the rest of the roster is available, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter links). Rozier was unable to practice on Friday due to his ankle injury, Winderman adds.
- While neither player would have been in the rotation, the Bucks have ruled out Tyler Smith (left ankle sprain) and Chris Livingston (personal reasons) for Friday’s Game 3 vs. Indiana, the team announced (Twitter links).
- In case you missed it, while Shams Charania reported that Grizzlies star Ja Morant would miss Game 4 on Saturday vs. Oklahoma City due to his hip injury, Memphis isn’t entirely closing the door on the possibility of Morant suiting up, having listed him as doubtful. His injury designation is a hip contusion.
Warriors’ Jimmy Butler Questionable For Game 3 After Game 2 Exit
April 25: The Warriors confirmed (via Twitter) that Butler has a pelvis and deep gluteal muscle contusion. He’s questionable for Game 3 on Saturday, per the team.
April 24: Butler avoided a serious injury and has been diagnosed with a deep glute muscle contusion, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). According to Charania, this is a best-case scenario for Butler, as his MRI revealed no structural damage.
Still, Butler’s status for Game 3 against the Rockets on Saturday is in “serious jeopardy.” The Warriors defeated the Rockets on the road in Game 1 behind strong contributions from Curry and Butler, but lost in Game 2 after Butler exited.
April 23: Warriors forward Jimmy Butler has been ruled out for the rest of Golden State’s ongoing Game 2 against the Rockets after a hard fall in the first quarter, Golden State’s PR team announced (via Twitter). He has been diagnosed with a pelvis contusion.
The 6’7″ swingman landed hard on his tailbone after Houston forward Amen Thompson was knocked off balance while battling for a defensive rebound and undercut him beneath the basket (Twitter video link via Dr. David J. Chao).
Butler finishes the game with three points on 1-of-2 shooting from the floor and 1-of-2 shooting from the free throw line, plus two rebounds, in just eight minutes.
Since Golden State acquired the six-time All-Star from Miami in a multi-team blockbuster trade in February, the team has rallied to emerge as a legitimate title contender. Butler has shored up the Warriors’ defense — and given them another major creator — alongside incumbent stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. An extended Butler absence could kill the Warriors’ title aspirations.
Another Golden State starter also departed in the first half — guard Brandin Podziemski is questionable to return after exiting the game with a stomach bug, per the Warriors (Twitter link).
Reserve forward Jonathan Kuminga, who had been removed from head coach Steve Kerr‘s rotation since the Warriors’ final regular season game, is now getting his first playoff run of the postseason. Guard Pat Spencer is also seeing some action in the rotation as a result of Podziemski’s absence.
Houston currently leads Golden State by double digits, 47-31, late into the second quarter. The Warriors beat the Rockets at home in Game 1 on Sunday.
A source informs Anthony Slater of The Athletic (via Twitter) that Butler will undergo imaging on Thursday. Slater observes that both Curry and Kuminga were recently diagnosed with pelvic contusions after their own hard falls, and each missed minimal time. Both had to manage the pain upon their returns but were able to play again fairly quickly.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Van Gundy, Butler, Warriors, Durant
If practice makes perfect, the Lakers should be in good shape for Game 2 of their first-round series against Minnesota. The Lakers had their best practice in months, coach JJ Redick said on Monday, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Los Angeles lost by 22 points on Saturday. The Lakers will look to even the series on Tuesday.
“Hopefully, we can just right our wrongs,” guard Austin Reaves said. “We played bad, they shot the ball really well. They’re obviously a really good team that’s physical. We got to match that. Tomorrow it’ll be different story.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- How has Jeff Van Gundy impacted the Clippers as an assistant in his returning to coaching? He’s been a major reason why their defense was strong enough to make the postseason. “He loves us being aggressive, attacking the ball,” Clippers guard Kris Dunn told the Sporting News’ Stephen Noh. “We’re not playing back on our heels. We’re being the aggressor and trying to dictate the game.”
- Jimmy Butler had a huge game as the Warriors grabbed a 1-0 series against the Rockets on Sunday night. Butler supplied 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals. He scored six points in the last 1:43 to put the game away, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk notes. “He has that impact every game,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of the team’s blockbuster midseason addition. “He calms things down. He’s very confident. He’s very poised. He always believes we’re going to win. Jimmy is — he’s one of the best players in the league, and that’s what the best players in the league do. It’s not just about scoring or stats. It’s about settling the game down, having the presence and the nature to compete and win games like this.”
- The Rockets, despite their strong regular season record, have been subpar in the half-court in 2024/25. The Warriors believe they can win the series by preventing Houston from getting easy baskets, Anthony Slater of ESPN writes. “But we’ve got to recognize that we don’t need to take chances in this series,” Kerr said. “We need to be clean with our execution in transition. We don’t need to dribble through traffic. We don’t need to throw lob passes to try to get a dunk. We’ve gotta be rock solid. If we’re rock solid, smart and tough, I think we’ll be in good shape.”
- If the Suns deal Kevin Durant this offseason, which veteran players could they try to acquire in return? Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic takes a look at 10 potential targets.
Pacific Notes: Butler, Booker, Clippers, Lakers
Although six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler has never won an NBA championship, he told Sam Amick of The Athletic this week that, as the playoffs get underway, he’s thinking more about getting a fifth title for two of his Warriors teammates than getting one for himself.
“Look, I’m not gonna say I’m not hungry, but I’m doing this for Steph (Curry),” Butler said. “I’m doing this for Dray (Draymond Green). I’m doing this for these guys. As much as I want to win a championship, I want Dray to win another one. I want Steph to win another one. I know I ain’t got mine yet, but they deserve it. They’ve been putting this city and this organization on their back for a very long time, and I’m glad that I can be here to try and do something special.”
The Warriors will enter the first round as the No. 7 seed, but they’re the solid betting favorites against the No. 2 Rockets, whose top players have far less postseason experience than Golden State’s stars. Given Curry’s and Green’s four championships – along with his own two NBA Finals appearances – Butler believes the Warriors’ veterans have a “target on their back” this spring, which he’s just fine with.
“I love having a target on my back,” Butler told Amick. “I think I’ve had it the last couple of years over in the East, and (the Warriors) are gonna always have it, until 30 (Curry) and 23 (Green) are gone out this motherf—er. They’re always gonna be the squad to beat. Everybody always fears them. Everybody always knows that they’re not out of any game, out of any series, and I love to be a part of it. I ain’t scared of nobody. You know me. I’m not scared of nobody. I know what I’m capable of.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- In the wake of reports stating that the Suns have no interest in trading Devin Booker, team owner Mat Ishbia reiterated that stance in his end-of-season media session, referring to the veteran guard as Phoenix’s “franchise player,” as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (Twitter video link). “I speak with him and we’re very aligned on what we want to do and what we’re gonna do,” Ishbia said. “And his mission and my mission are very similar: Let’s bring a championship to Phoenix. And he understands the vision.”
- Following the offseason departure of Paul George, oddsmakers projected the Clippers to finish last in the Pacific and finish below .500 this season. Instead, the club won 50 games and claimed a top-five seed in a competitive Western Conference. “I think our group has been playing with a chip on its shoulders all year because of that (outside skepticism),” head coach Tyronn Lue said this week, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “We just found ways to win. We just found ways to win. No matter whose night it was, we just kind of featured that guy, played hard defensively and competed and we played together. … Being counted out and staying the course and playing with that chip on your shoulder all year long.”
- How did the Lakers take a significant step forward on defense in the second half despite having traded away longtime anchor Anthony Davis? Ramona Shelburne of ESPN digs into that question, exploring how the acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith, the return of Jarred Vanderbilt, J.J. Redick‘s scheme, and improved communication have all factored into the team’s success on that end of the floor.
Warriors Notes: Butler, Curry, Layoff, Odds, Kuminga
Jimmy Butler took full advantage of the Grizzlies’ decision to use center Zach Edey as the primary defender on him during Tuesday’s play-in game. Butler feasted on the matchup, erupting for 38 points on 12-for-20 shooting, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals in the Warriors’ 121-116 victory.
“He just told me: ‘I don’t care who guards me. Just give me space. Give me the ball. I’ll make something happen,’” coach Steve Kerr said. “And that’s the beauty of Jimmy.”
Butler had more room to shoot from the perimeter but instead chose to attack the basket. Only two of his buckets were three-pointers.
“I’d rather drive into the paint,” Butler said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Get me a layup, a middy or pass the ball to somebody that’s probably a much better shooter than I am. I think you and probably everybody else want me to shoot more threes. But I like shooting some layups.”
We have more on the Warriors:
- Stephen Curry racked up 37 points on Tuesday. He scored 15 of those points in the final 7:02 as the Warriors clinched the No. 7 seed. They’ll face the Rockets in the next round. “It’s just a reminder that it’s not guaranteed,” Curry said, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “I don’t care how talented you are. You look around the league, you could argue more talented teams that we have that are on the outside looking in. So you appreciate the moments. That’s why we have been talking for the last two months [about] how important it is to play meaningful games. And now we have a series that’s going to be full of meaningful games.”
- The Warriors have essentially been in playoff mode since the All-Star break. They’ll now get a little time off before the series opener in Houston on Sunday night. “We desperately needed to win this game and get four days [off],” Kerr said. “Our guys have basically been playing knockout games for about three weeks. One high-level game after another. So to get this one, it took 83 games, but we are right where we want to be. Which is back in the playoffs and we got a chance.”
- Forget the seedings. The Warriors are a -220 favorite on Bet MGM’s Sportsbook to win their first-round series vs. the Rockets, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets.
- Jonathan Kuminga didn’t get off the bench in the play-in game. Draymond Green expects Kuminga to play a role against the Rockets in the first round, Slater tweets. “He’ll contribute (in the Houston series)…The challenge for him is to stay mentally engaged,” Green said. Kuminga will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Pacific Notes: Booker, Lakers, Doncic, Butler, Curry
The Suns’ disastrous season didn’t change Devin Booker‘s feelings about the organization. He wants to remain in Phoenix for years to come, he told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.
“I’ve spoke on it plenty of times,” Booker said. “I’m sure the people are sick of hearing my Phoenix love story, but I’m deeply rooting into this community. I take a lot of pride in it. We’ve built it from the ground up before. I didn’t think I’d be back in this situation, but it shows you how hard the league is. Once we get back to that championship level, I’ll be able to shed light on people that it can change very quickly.”
It seems unlikely Booker will be playing with both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal again next season. There’s heavy speculation that Durant will be traded and the front office will try to do something regarding Beal’s onerous contract. Booker has no issues with either player.
“I love playing with both of them,” Booker said. “Even the moments that we played together, they haven’t been to what we expected or wanted out of it, but good things do take some time to build and they take experience. We haven’t had a lot of that, but that’s not a good excuse to fall back on.”
Booker is eligible to sign a two-year, maximum-salary extension this offseason, even though he just completed the first year of his four-year super-max extension. He seems tempted to take it if it’s offered.
“I’ve been in long enough where I’ve watched some of my heroes and idols just slowly get out of the league, and you see how it hurts them,” he said. “I don’t want to think about the day that I have to do that. It’s nice to be up for an extension.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers‘ best source of information as they prepare for the Timberwolves in the opening round could be their superstar newcomer. Coach JJ Redick will consult with Luka Doncic, who led the Mavericks to a series win over Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals last season. “There are nuances to what teams are trying to do against certain opponents,” Redick said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The third-seeded Lakers will use their time off this week to heal up and gradually work on their game plan for the best-of-seven series. “It’s not necessarily going to be everything at once this week. We’ll have to slow drip, and I think that’s the approach that I think is going to work best for our group,” Redick said. “Tuesday will be more about us. Wednesday, we’ll introduce Minnesota.”
- Speaking of Doncic, he became the first international player to have the best-selling jersey in the league, according to Mike Vornukov of The Athletic. Since the 2013/14 season, either LeBron James or Stephen Curry led the NBA in that category. The Lakers also had the league’s top-selling merchandise.
- Jimmy Butler gave the Warriors fans a glimpse of “Playoff Jimmy” when he played 48 minutes, scored 30 points and matched up with Kawhi Leonard in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Clippers, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic writes. Golden State was relegated to the play-in tournament but Butler gives the Warriors another player who can take over and assert his will, Thompson notes. “You have a guy who can kind of slow the pace of the game down for us, get us into good things,” forward Draymond Green said. “Just having that extra added weapon. Having another No. 1 next to Steph is different.”
- The Warriors have a clean injury report for their matchup with Memphis on Tuesday night, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Curry has a sprained right thumb and Butler took a knee to the thigh on Sunday, but both will play.