"Pray for Rockets": Jimmy Butler's cryptic IG post has fans surprisingly hyped for Game 3

Jimmy Butler’s cryptic Instagram post has Golden State Warriors fans hyped for Game 3 of the Western Conference first round. Butler exited Game 2 following a hard fall after the Rockets’ Amen Thompson had undercut him on a layup. MRIs revealed that Butler has a pelvis and deep gluteal muscle contusion and is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game.

However, Butler’s post on Instagram has fans believing that he could be available for the Warriors.

Expand Tweet

Fans reacted to Butler’s post with excitement.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

“Y’all poked the bear Pray for Rockets,” one said.

“OOHHHHHH THE NBA'S NOT READY FOR THIS MAN,” said another.

“Oh yeah he dropping 40 on sat,” another said.

Some fans even displayed concern for the Houston Rockets in excitement:

“Oh that boy READY rockets a** getting whooped,” one said.

“a foldable table...its about to get serious,” said another.

Expand Tweet

Butler has earned the moniker of “Playoff Jimmy,” thanks to the stellar performances he put up during his time with the Miami Heat. He led them to NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023. Since the 2019-20 season, Butler has recorded 24.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in the playoffs.

Since arriving in Golden State, Jimmy Butler has repeatedly brought up the NBA Finals and hopes to go that far with Stephen Curry. It will be surprising if Butler ends up missing Saturday’s game. The 35-year-old can be expected to fight for playing time even if his recovery doesn’t go as expected.

Jimmy Butler's injury allowed the Houston Rockets to dominate Game 2

Expand Tweet

Jimmy Butler has been instrumental for the Warriors since he was traded there in February. With him on the floor, the Dubs kept Houston at bay and escaped Game 1 with a win. However, following Butler's early exit in Game 2, Golden State didn't have an answer for the Rockets.

They were trailing by 10 points since the end of the first quarter and failed to mount a comeback despite their best efforts. Without Jimmy spacing the floor, Steph Curry was swarmed on defense and was held to 6-15 shooting. Game 2 is further proof of how important Butler will be to Golden State's playoff run this season. Hopefully, he will be on the floor for Game 3.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

Know More

Miami Heat Nation! You can check out the latest Miami Heat Schedule and dive into the Heat Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

Edited by Bhargav