Jimmy Butler’s status for Saturday is up in the air.
The Warriors forward who helped revive Golden State’s season is officially listed as questionable ahead of Saturday’s key Game 3 matchup in the team’s first-round playoffs series against the Houston Rockets.
Butler was diagnosed with a “pelvis and deep gluteal muscle contusion” after suffering a hard fall in the first quarter of Wednesday’s Game 2. Golden State’s offense struggled without Butler, who has helped the team go 25-9 — including the postseason and Play-In Tournament — in games he has played for the franchise.
Tipoff for Game 3 is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Here’s everything you need to know about Butler’s playing status ahead of Game 3:
Is Jimmy Butler playing today for the Golden State Warriors?
As of Saturday afternoon, it’s still unclear. The Warriors will assess Butler’s response to his pre-game workout and will make a game-time decision on his availability for Game 3 against the Houston Rockets, a person with knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on Butler’s playing status.
Speaking a little less than two hours prior to Game 3, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said that there was still no official determination on Butler’s status, and that Butler would get some pre-game treatment for his injury.
“He’ll try to get some work done downstairs and see if he can go,” Kerr told reporters Saturday.
The Warriors announced Friday that Butler would be listed as questionable for Saturday’s game.
How did Jimmy Butler get injured vs. the Houston Rockets?
The play happened late in the first quarter, when Butler jumped in an attempt to grab a defensive rebound. As he was in the air, Rockets forward Amen Thompson stumbled and undercut Butler, causing Butler to lose his balance and land directly on his tail bone.
Butler writhed on the floor for a few moments before he got up gingerly. He converted 1-of-2 free throws and exited the game, heading directly to the locker room. The Warriors eventually ruled him out.
‘Hopefully, he’s OK,’ Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Wednesday after the game. ‘We’ll see. … Jimmy always says he’s going to be fine. But we have to wait and see with the MRI.”
The MRI results from Thursday confirmed the injury and showed that Butler had avoided any structural damage, clearing his way for a potential return to play.