Jimmy Butler tears ACL as Warriors face season reset after Heat win

Golden State Warriors helping Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending torn close ACL successful Monday night’s 135-112 triumph implicit the Miami Heat, his cause told ESPN, a crushing crook for a squad that had been trending up.

The wounded struck astatine the 7:41 people of the 3rd quarter. Butler jumped to drawback an introduction walk successful the mediate of the overgarment and collided with Heat defender Davion Mitchell. His close genu appeared to twist connected the landing, and helium collapsed to the tribunal successful evident pain.

He stayed down for a mates of minutes arsenic teammates gathered astir him astatine Chase Center. Butler was yet pulled to his feet and helped toward the locker room, incapable to enactment value connected his close leg. He adjacent laughed with adjacent officials that helium was owed 2 escaped throws.

"He was inactive cracking jokes implicit determination portion helium was connected the ground," Warriors defender Stephen Curry said. "In existent Jimmy fashion, he's ever gonna person a bully clip nary substance what the concern is."

MRI confirmation and pugnacious choices ahead

Butler near the arena to get an MRI, which confirmed the ACL tear, his cause Bernie Lee said successful a connection to ESPN. Warriors manager Steve Kerr described the radical arsenic "concerned" and "subdued."

"Obviously a gut punch connected each level for Jimmy and the full group, but I firmly judge that this is simply a portion of the journey," Lee told ESPN successful a statement. "We can't lone expect to instrumentality the bully things retired of it. I've known for implicit 10 years present that Jimmy is going to triumph a title earlier helium is done. My content successful that is unwavering."

Lee said determination volition beryllium immoderate "functional decisions" made successful the adjacent fewer days earlier the absorption turns to rehab and adjacent season.

"If you cognize thing astir Jimmy, you cognize precisely however helium volition onslaught this challenge," Lee told ESPN. "Put simply, helium has this."

The timing hurts. Golden State is 25-19 and had won 12 of its past 16 games, with Butler dependable arsenic Curry’s partner. With the Feb. 5 commercialized deadline approaching and Butler’s large wage locked successful done adjacent season, the Warriors present person to determine what this wounded means for the remainder of the twelvemonth and the aboriginal of their aging core.