Jimmy Butler gave it a shot on Tuesday night.
After entering the contest at Chase Center listed as questionable, Butler left the Golden State Warriors’ 118-107 win over the Phoenix Suns early with lower back soreness. The team quickly ruled him out in the second half, too.
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Butler was spotted with a heating pad around his back while resting in the first half, and he ended the second quarter on the bench. He was out of the starting lineup to open the third quarter, and just never returned. The team ruled him out simply with lower back soreness, though further specifics aren’t yet known.
He finished the night with 2 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 14 minutes. It doesn’t appear he did anything specifically in the first half to tweak his back; the initial injury stemmed from the Warriors’ loss to the Indianapolis Pacers on Saturday night.
Butler entered the night averaging 21.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting just shy of 50% from the field. This marks his first full season with the Warriors, who he was dealt to Golden State last season after a tumultuous end to his time with the Miami Heat. The 36-year-old signed a two-year, $110.9 million extension with the Warriors that will keep him with the team through the end of next season.
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Despite losing Butler, the Warriors had little issue getting past the Suns on Tuesday night. They broke open a 19-point lead at the break and fended off several late pushes by the Suns to grab the 11-point win.
Stephen Curry led the way with 28 points while shooting 5 of 12 from the 3-point line, though he revealed after the game that he’s been dealing with an illness in recent days. As a result, he’s already been ruled out of Wednesday night’s game in Sacramento. Moses Moody added 24 points off the bench, and Quinten Post finished with 14 points and six rebounds. The win snapped a two-game losing skid for Golden State, and pushed its record to 5-3.
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Devin Booker led Phoenix with 38 points after he shot 13 of 24 from the field. Grayson Allen finished with 16 points, and Mark Williams added 16 points and 16 rebounds. Guard Dillon Brooks, who missed the game due to a groin injury, actually picked up a technical foul in the fourth quarter while on the bench — which Warriors fans certainly loved.
The Suns now hold a 3-5 record.
It’s unclear how long Butler will be sidelined, if at all. Warriors coach Steve Kerr called him “questionable” after the game on Tuesday night. But the Warriors will have to turn around and play the Kings on Wednesday night before traveling to Denver to take on Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on Friday. If Butler isn’t available, especially in that second game, the mini two-game road trip could be a tough one for the Warriors.