The Golden State Warriors clawed their way to a hard-fought win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, April 26, and the good news didn’t stop there.
Golden State was able to achieve victory despite the absence of star Jimmy Butler, who missed the game due to a pelvis and deep glute muscle contusion that he suffered in Game 2 in Houston on Wednesday of last week.
Butler attempted to give it a go before the game, but team doctors ultimately ruled him out. However, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported that Butler is likely to be back for Game 4 at Chase Center on Monday night.
“Jimmy Butler worked out on the practice court pregame, per source,” Slater posted to his X account. “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.”
Stephen Curry Led Warriors to Win Over Rockets in Tough Game 3
Getty Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
The shorthanded Warriors held off the Rockets in San Francisco in another ugly, scrappy game, in which Houston banged around Stephen Curry to a significant degree.
Golden State eclipsed 100 points for the first time in the series in Game 3, besting the Rockets by a score of 104-93. The contest was considerably closer than the final score for almost the entire night, though the Dubs pulled away late in the fourth quarter to capture the victory.
Curry led the way with 36 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal. He also made history on Saturday night, eclipsing Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs for 10th place all-time on the NBA’s playoff scoring list.
The end result was a significant turnaround from Game 2, which the Warriors lost by 15 points. Butler played just eight minutes in that contest before exiting with the aforementioned injury. He scored three points, grabbed two rebounds and was a -7 in the plus/minus category during his time on the floor.
Warriors Have Chance to Take Commanding Lead Over Rockets in Game 4
GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers (left) and Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves (right).
The Warriors will host Game 4 and have a chance to take a death grip on the series with a victory.
Golden State opened as a 4.5-point favorite over Houston, per ESPN BET. And while the Rockets are a younger and more athletic group than the Warriors, the Dubs’ experience has proven a valuable asset as the No. 7 seed attempts to overthrow the No. 2 seed in the first round.
Should Golden State advance beyond the first round, the team will take on either the Los Angeles Lakers (No. 3 seed) or the Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 6 seed). Minnesota is up 2-1 in that series after besting Los Angeles by a score of 116-104 in the first game played on the Timberwolves’ home court.
Luka Doncic entered the contest with an illness, and his production suffered as a result. He scored just 17 points on low efficiency, while LeBron James led the way for the Lakers with 38 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
Game 4 between the Lakers and Timberwolves is set for Sunday afternoon in Minnesota.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Warriors Get Big News on Jimmy Butler After Taking 2-1 Lead on Rockets appeared first on Heavy Sports.