Jimmy Butler’s massive injury update indicates his absence for Warriors-Rockets Game 3

Jimmy Butler will likely miss the pivotal Game 3 against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. The veteran forward suffered a pelvic contusion in the first half of Game 2 of the 2025 NBA playoffs. Per NBA insider Shams Charania's latest update, the injury is serious enough to rule him out for the upcoming game likely.

Charania shared the update on Butler's availability on X (formerly Twitter), saying he had suffered a deep glute contusion and that the MRI had not shown any fracture or structural damage.

"Golden State's Jimmy Butler has been diagnosed with a deep glute muscle contusion and his status for Game 3 against the Houston Rockets is in serious jeopardy, league sources tell ESPN. This is best case because MRI showed Butler avoided any fracture or structural damage."

This comes on the back of Butler's agent sharing a cryptic message earlier. NBA insider Marc Spears shared on Thursday on ESPN's 'NBA Today' that the Warriors star agent Bernie Lee texted him saying, "Pray for the bear." This signals optimism for the team, but for now, there's every chance to believe Butler might miss Game 3.

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Jimmy Butler's absence will hamper the Warriors on both ends of the floor

If Jimmy Butler does miss Game 3, the Warriors will find themselves in a tough situation with lack of firepower on both ends of the floor. He was a vital cog in Golden State's defense that elevated them to playoff contention. His shot-making ability and being a perfect scoring complement to Steph Curry made him a valuable member for the team.

While the Warriors can win without the veteran forward, the Rockets blunt physicality will be a problem. Much then will depend on Curry to push them past Houston.