The Golden State Warriors had to battle and grind to make the NBA Playoffs.
They could’ve earned an outright playoff seed in the last week of the season, but a shocking loss to the San Antonio Spurs and a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on the last day of the season relegated them to the NBA Play-In Tournament.
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Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry defined what a star player is, scoring 38 and 37 points, respectively.
But things took a horrible turn in Game 2 between the Warriors and the Houston Rockets. With 2:28 remaining in the first quarter, Amen Thompson made contact with Jimmy Butler in midair, upending him and causing a hard fall on his tailbone. Butler left the game and went into the locker room.
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The injury to Butler couldn’t have come at a worse time, as guard Brandon Podziemski was already listed as “questionable” ahead of Game 2 due to an illness.
The Warriors got off to a slow start, falling behind early, which hasn’t helped matters.
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Podziemski is questionable to return, with some speculating it may be food poisoning. Whatever it is, it’s likely not something Stephen Curry hasn’t gone against before.
In a game where everything seems to be working against you, the Warriors and Steve Kerr may face a tricky question late in this game.
If things haven’t at least hinted that they might turn around in your favor, is it worth Curry expending so much energy in what could end up being a futile effort?
Due to the injury to Butler, forward Jonathan Kuminga has seen his first on-court action since April 11.
Either way, the physically ailing Warriors will benefit from the travel day as they prepare to return to the Bay Area to host the Rockets for Game 3.
