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SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler left Monday night’s 135-112 victory against the Miami Heat at Chase Center with an apparent right knee injury.
The Warriors were leading 77-75 with 7:41 remaining in the third quarter at the time of the injury stoppage.
Butler jumped to receive a lob pass from guard Brandin Podziemski, which was met with contact from Heat guard Davion Mitchell as Butler was landing and going up for a layup.
It seemed as if Butler’s knee buckled as he immediately fell to the ground before being tended to by the Warriors’ medical staff.
Butler, though grimacing in pain, smiled as he was being helped off the floor by teammates Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II.
Warriors teammate Stephen Curry said Butler was still cracking jokes as he was down on the ground in pain.
“True Jimmy fashion,” Curry told reporters. “He’s always going to have a good time no matter what the situation is. I do love that perspective and that part of his personality. Even in the worst of the moment he can still have a good time.”
Curry added: “[Jimmy Butler] was trying to get to the free throw line. He said it was two shots.”
Butler left the game with 17 points, on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, four assists and two steals in 21 minutes. He immediately received an MRI after the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters.
“We’re all really concerned, but we’ll know more after the MRI. We don’t know anything at this point,” Kerr said.
Kerr was proud of how the team responded following the injury to Butler.
“It was great. The guys played really well, a lot of guys stepped up and shot the lights out,” he said. “[We] did a good job of taking care of the ball. It was a very physical game. That’s a big, strong team. They had 20 offensive boards but we battled really well, all night.”
Podziemski led the way for Golden State with 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting from the field. Curry had a double-double with 19 points and 11 assists.
“If [Jimmy] is out then it’s the same kind of mentality as tonight, everybody step up a little bit in his absence” Podziemski told USA TODAY. “We’ll have Melt [De’Anthony Melton], Dray [Draymond Green] and Gui [Santos] back, so that’ll help as well. Hopefully it’s nothing too bad, but if it is we gotta go out there and roll with the guys we have.”
The Warriors received a team contribution as seven players scored in double-figures.
Quinten Post had 15. Moses Moody scored 13. Buddy Hield dropped 16, including hitting four threes off the bench. Al Horford added 10.
Warriors injury report
Before Butler’s injury, Golden State already had three players sit out due to injury for Monday’s game against the Miami Heat.
Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton was out due to left knee injury management, while Draymond Green sat out with a right ankle sprain.
Seth Curry remains out with left sciatic nerve irritation.
Jimmy Butler season stats
Here are Jimmy Butler’s 2025-26 regular-season statistics:
- Minutes: 31.4
- Points: 20.1
- Rebounds: 5.6
- Assists: 4.9
- Steals: 1.43
- Field goal: 51.9%
- 3-point field goal: 38.1%
