Extent of Jimmy Butler’s injury from scary fall is revealed

The Golden State Warriors may have to try to win a playoff game or two without the services of Jimmy Butler.

Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Thursday on the extent of the Warriors star’s injury. Butler has been diagnosed with a deep glute muscle contusion, and his status for Game 3 against the Houston Rockets on Saturday night is said to be in “serious jeopardy.”

However, Charania adds that the diagnosis for Butler is a “best case” scenario. This is because an MRI revealed that Butler avoided a fracture or any other kind of structural damage.

The six-time All-Star Butler was injured during the Warriors’ Game 2 loss to the Rockets on Wednesday. He was going up for a defensive rebound when he got undercut by Houston’s Amen Thompson and crashed hard to the floor as a result, landing on his tailbone (video here). Butler’s injury occurred in the first quarter, and he did not return to the game, in which Golden State ultimately fell, 109-94.

Butler was acquired by Golden State in a blockbuster trade this past February. The Warriors were a sub-.500 team before Butler debuted, but his arrival completely jumpstarted the team, and they went a scorching 23-8 to close out the regular season to finish at 48-34 overall.

Golden State took care of business on the road by winning Game 1 against Houston to secure homecourt advantage in the first-round playoff series. But now that it is playing at home for the next two games, the Warriors may be down their two-way talisman in Butler.