Warriors Jimmy Butler Suffers Pelvic Injury in Rockets Playoff Series

Houston won the game 109–94, tying the best-of-seven quarterfinal series at 1–1

Jimmy Butler III #10 of the Golden State Warriors goes to the floor after being fouled by Amen Thompson #1 of the Houston Rockets in the first half in Game Two of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, on April 23, 2025. Tim Warner/Getty Images

Golden State Warriors star guard Jimmy Butler injured his pelvis when he landed on his back after going up for a rebound in Game 2 of the playoff series with the Houston Rockets on April 23.

In the first quarter, Butler got tangled up with Rockets forward Amen Thompson and fell backwards as they came down from the rebound. He landed hard and was clearly in pain.

After the foul was called on Thompson, Butler went 1-2 at the free-throw line. He then left the court, clearly struggling as he walked to the locker room.

Houston won the game 109–94, tying the best-of-seven quarterfinal series at 1–1. Butler only had three points and two rebounds before he was knocked out of the game. His future remains in doubt.

“If Jimmy’s out, we have to rethink everything,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters on Wednesday. “Like rotations, who starts, and the best combinations and all that stuff.”

While some fans have called Thompson’s play “dirty” on social media, Thompson didn’t get the same criticism elsewhere, including from Kerr.

“We didn’t think there was anything wrong with the play,“ Kerr said. ”It was just one of those plays.”

Thompson made it clear that “it was definitely inadvertent” during his postgame interview via the Houston Chronicle.

“That would be very skillful to do that on purpose,” Thompson told reporters. “I hope he’s good, but it’s basketball. Sometimes unfortunate stuff, things like that happen.”

“Jimmy’s only going to tell you he feels good,” Warriors forward Draymond Green told reporters. “We'll see. He’s given me zero reasons to not believe anything he says, so I do believe him.”

Green, who was right behind Butler and Thompson on that play, said he didn’t see everything that happened.

“I was trying to box out Thompson, and somehow he ended up under Jimmy’s legs, Green said.

Green had eight points, five rebounds, and three steals in the loss. He said there’s a big challenge ahead if Butler misses time.

“It was significant,” Green said about Game 2. “Any time you lose one of your best players, one of your top dogs, it’s tough to overcome. I thought we did a good job fighting, giving ourselves a chance. We just couldn’t get over the hump.”

Golden State was a .500 team this season before Butler arrived via a trade with the Miami Heat. Since that slow start, the Warriors have gone 23–8 with Butler.

“Hopefully Jimmy will be able to play,” Kerr said. “But if not, then we’ve got to go through our options and put together a plan.”

If Butler can’t go, Warriors power forward Jonathan Kuminga could step into a starting role. Kuminga stepped up with 11 points, three rebounds, and two assists against the Rockets in Game 2.

“Jonathan was ready,” Kerr said. “He’s been great—preparing every day, keeping a great attitude. In Game 1, he was cheering the whole time. His teammates pull for him. He stayed ready, and that matters, because we may need him.”

Kuminga, who hasn’t played more than 25 minutes in a game since March 17, played 26 minutes on Wednesday. He suffered an ankle sprain in January, which sidelined him for 31 games.

“I mean, it is tough, you know,” Kuminga told reporters afterward. “Any player, it’s going to be tough… you’ve just got to stay ready.”

Golden State will have home-court advantage for the next two games on Saturday and April 28, but the Rockets have momentum after the team’s first playoff win since 2020.

Warriors star guard Steph Curry has faced similar injuries in the past, though he couldn’t give a prognosis on Butler. Curry had 20 points, five rebounds, and nine assists in the loss.

“I’ve had that happen a couple of times,” Curry told reporters afterward. “And you know exactly what it is. It’s just a matter of how bad it was, and I don’t know [about Butler’s injury], but it definitely changed the dynamic of our offense.”