Jimmy Butler was cleared for action on Tuesday night for the Golden State Warriors’ matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Unfortunately, his night ended early.
Before the Warriors and the Thunder went back to the locker room for halftime, Butler left the game briefly. At that point, his status for the remainder of the night was in question.
The Warriors saw their star forward return to the bench, before getting back out on the court to close out the first half of action. When the Warriors returned for the third quarter, Butler wasn’t in the lineup. Starting in his place was Gary Payton II.
It took some time, but the Warriors eventually ruled out Butler for the remainder of the game. According to the team’s official announcement, Butler is dealing with a sore left knee.
When the Warriors held Butler out at the start of the second half, they trailed big. While undermanned, the Warriors put together a massive third quarter, outscoring the Thunder 44-28. They got the game within one possession, entering the fourth quarter with the score at 91-88.
The Warriors have a chance to seal a win against the Western Conference’s top team on Tuesday. However, they still have some notable concerns. The star guard Steph Curry is in the midst of a one-week injury timeline, and he is slated for an evaluation on Thursday, at the earliest.
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Now, Butler’s knee will be a concern until the Warriors get more clarity on the setback after Tuesday’s action.
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