
Jimmy Butler was not on the court on Wednesday as the Golden State Warriors suffered a disappointing defeat against the Miami Heat, 110-96. Butler sat out due to a back injury, which prevented him from facing off against his former team.
Butler, who is averaging 20.1 points on 53.5% shooting, 5.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 triples in his first full season with the Warriors, parted ways with Miami in February via a blockbuster trade deal. The six-time All-Star demanded a trade mid-season after six years with the Heat, which eventually saw him land in the Bay Area.
Butler missed just his second game of the season on Wednesday. The back issue did not seem like a significant concern, though, and the fact that it was the second game of a back-to-back set for Golden State may have factored into the team’s decision to give Butler the night off.
The Warriors are back in action on Friday in a home matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. Golden State has already submitted its initial injury report for the game, which gave them the opportunity to announce Butler’s status.
At this point, the 36-year-old is trending towards returning for Friday’s game. He has officially been listed as probable to play, which means that, barring any unforeseen setbacks, Butler should be back in the lineup against Portland.