Golden State Warriors star forward Jimmy Butler’s evening was cut short on Wednesday after a hard foul in the first quarter by Houston Rockets wing Amen Thompson. The Game 2 play left Warriors fans fuming, with many asserting that Thompson should have been penalized.
Warriors Fans React to Jimmy Butler’s Early Exit
Looking to take a 2-0 lead on the road in its best-of-seven first-round playoff series, Golden State suffered an early setback. Trailing 22-15 with 2:28 remaining in the first quarter, Butler attempted to secure a rebound when he was undercut in the air by Thompson.
Thompson got tangled up with Warriors veteran forward Draymond Green, seemingly losing balance before making contact with Butler. Afterward, both players hit the floor, with Butler landing hard on his tailbone.
Following the loose-ball foul, the six-time All-Star stayed in the game to shoot two free throws and briefly attempted to play through seemingly significant pain. However, he soon asked to be subbed out, later getting ruled out for the remainder of the contest due to a pelvis contusion.
Butler finished with three points and two rebounds on 1-for-2 shooting (50.0%) in eight minutes, making a limited impact before his exit.
Thompson’s foul subsequently went viral on X, with numerous fans claiming that the sophomore took a cheap shot.
“Bro really took his legs out then tried to act hurt. He knew what tf he was doing,” one fan said.
“Dirty as hell! And someone gone say dray pushed em! Where is the push!!!” another wrote.
“Rockets are full of dirty players. Crazy tackle move,” one user added.
Meanwhile, others questioned why Thompson wasn’t assessed a flagrant foul on the play.
“Just don’t understand how this wasn’t reviewed,” one fan wrote.
“No flagrant is embarrassing, not even a review,” another said.
“Dirty play should’ve been a flagrant,” another user remarked.
Butler Expected To Undergo MRI To Determine Significance of Pelvic Injury
According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sam Gordon, Butler will undergo an MRI on Thursday to determine if he will miss additional time. However, early indications are that his pelvic injury isn’t severe.
The 14-year veteran, acquired at the trade deadline, has given the Western Conference’s seventh-seeded Warriors (48-34) a much-needed edge. They went 23-7 over his 30 regular-season appearances and upset the second-seeded Rockets (52-30) 95-85 in Sunday’s Game 1 clash.
Butler’s presence has alleviated pressure on superstar point guard Stephen Curry to carry Golden State offensively. So, the team may not be able to withstand his potential extended postseason absence.
