Jimmy Butler left the Golden State Warriors’ 135-112 win over the Miami Heat on Monday night after suffering a right knee injury, which raised concerns despite the lopsided victory.
The injury occurred in the third quarter when Butler went down awkwardly after colliding with Heat guard Davion Mitchell in the paint.
Mitchell was called for a foul on the play. Butler lay on the ground for several minutes, grimacing and clutching his knee, before being helped to the locker room by teammates Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield.
The Golden State Warriors announced that Butler will undergo an MRI, with an update not expected until Tuesday.
“We’re all very concerned, but we’ll know more after the MRI,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “Everyone is subdued because of the injury and waiting for the news.”
Kerr added that Butler asking for free throws after the fall was encouraging. “Hopefully that’s a good sign,” he said.
Stephen Curry noticed Butler’s behavior even when he was injured.
“It’s kind of funny that he was still there making jokes while he was on the ground, in true Jimmy fashion,” Curry said.
“He’s always going to have a good time, no matter the situation. “He’s an alpha,” Kerr said.
“Assuming we’re going to be without him for a while, we’re going to miss him.”
Before leaving the game, Butler had 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting, along with four assists and three rebounds in just under 21 minutes.
