Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler will return from a pelvic contusion for Game 4 against the Houston Rockets. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report.
Butler had a hard fall in Game 2 when trying to grab a rebound in the first quarter and missed Game 3 as a result.
The Warriors went on to win Game 3 anyway, on the back of a spectacular performance from Steph Curry. He finished the game with 36 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds in a 104-93 victory.
Golden State now lead the series 2-1 and will look to maintain home court advantage with another win Monday night.
Butler Return Due To Working Around The Clock
Game 2 was Wednesday night, giving Butler four days off entering Game 4.
He is said to have received treatment on his body around the clock to treat his pelvic and deep gluteal muscle contusion. Beyond the work on his body, Butler is said to have also done some on-court work. He also participated in a light walkthrough at the team shootaround.
This version of Butler giving everything he can to be on the court is a far cry from the one who seemed to be doing everything to stay off it in Miami before the trade deadline.
Still An Opportunity For Rockets
Butler’s prompt return means the Rockets missed out on a big opportunity to get one in his absence. That doesn’t mean they still don’t have one right now.
While Butler is back, he is expected to be well below 100 percent and it’s unknown if he’ll be on any type of minutes restriction. A diminished version of “Playoff Jimmy” is still a situation the Rockets can take advantage.
Houston can’t afford to go down 3-1 in the series and so this game becomes of paramount importance. Offense has been a problem throughout and it will be interesting to see if head coach Ime Udoka has any tricks up his sleeve.
Momentum appeared to be on the Rockets’ side after winning Game 2 comfortably and Butler going down. Now, regaining home court advantage with a Game 4 victory would merely keep them in the fight.