The Golden State Warriors were able to pull off a win over the Houston Rockets without star Jimmy Butler on Saturday, and now could have him back on the court for a pivotal Game 4.
The Warriors beat the Rockets 104-93 in Game 3 behind a strong performance from Steph Curry, who shouldered a bigger load with Butler out and finished the game with 36 points. The win gives the seventh-seeded Warriors a 2-1 edge in the series and a chance to take a commanding lead in the series when the teams meet again on Monday.
As The Athletic’s Anthony Slater noted, the Warriors could have Butler back on the court by then.
“Jimmy Butler worked out on the practice court pregame, per source,” Slater shared in a post on X. “Medical team held him out to give body two more days to heal, but there’s a belief he will be back for Game 4 on Monday night with the Warriors searching for 3-1 series lead over the Rockets.”
Butler was hurt early in Golden State’s Game 2 loss in Houston, getting undercut by Amen Thompson while going up for a rebound and crashing to the floor. Butler suffered a pelvis contusion and was ruled out, then listed as questionable for Saturday’s Game 2 before being ruled out before game time.
The Warriors rallied on Saturday behind Curry, who made 12-of-23 shots from the field and 5-of-13 from behind the three-point arc, adding seven rebounds and nine assists.
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