Butler's season ending injury overshadows Warriors 4th straight win

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors won their season high fourth game in a row. But it came at a catastrophic price.

Shooting guard Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL in his right knee (first reported by ESPN) when his right leg fell awkwardly after receiving a pass from Brandin Podziemski with 7:41 left in the third quarter. Butler was fouled on the play and laid on the ground for several minutes before being helped off of the court by two of his teammates before being placed in a wheelchair inside the tunnel where the players enter from. Butler finished with 19 points with four assists and two steals.

It's a devastating injury for Golden State who had found their stride the past two weeks with their scoring depth from their bench on nights when superstar guard Stephen Curry and Butler didn't have spectacular performances on the court. The question that looms is will GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. dip into the trade market to try to replace Butler's production or will Jonathan Kuminga be unleashed from the doghouse that head coach Steve Kerr has had him in for most of the season?

“I mean he’s a special talent, you know," said Curry on his feelings on losing Butler. "You really can't replace Jimmy. But as we all know it’s always next man up. You can't pout, you can't put your head down. Another opportunity for somebody to step up. Everybody has to step up and do more. Jimmy’s one of the guys that can get us to the foul line a lot, he’s our aggressor, but he’s a smart basketball player. You've got to be willing to take on that challenge, which is what the NBA brings, it’s an 82-game season."

As for the game, Podziemski had a season best 24 points off the bench to lead the Warriors to the blowout win over a struggling Heat team that were without Tyler Herro who's been out with a rib contusion. Podz went 9 of 19 shooting from the floor, include 3 of 7 from beyond the arc. Curry had 19 points with five three-pointers and 11 assists. Buddy Hield chipped with 16 points with 4 of 7 from beyond the arc.

The game featured the return of former Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins. This was the first time Wiggins was back in the Bay Area since he was a part of the trade that brought Bulter to Golden State last spring. Wiggins had a terrific first quarter leading the Heat with 11 points. He scored the last seven points for Miami in the final two minutes of the second quarter to finish with 18 points. The Warriors defense shut down Wiggins in the second half as he didn't score another point the rest of the game. The Warriors gave a video tribute to Wiggins before the game. Wiggins was part of Golden State's 2022 championship team.

“I really enjoyed the tribute. I definitely meant a lot. You know, all the love in the building, all the excitement, and all the old faces. Everything that comes with it. It was great. This is a game, a moment I’ll cherish. You know, you don't, you don't get too many of these," Wiggins said.

Norman Powell led Miami with 21 points shooting 7 of 16 from the field, including two three-pointers. Bam Adebayo had a lack luster performance with only four points and a -20 rating to go along with his 12 rebounds that led all players in the game. Simone Fontecchio chipped in with 13 points off the bench.

In a game where Golden State didn't have Draymond Green, De'Anthony Melton and Gui Santos who were dealing with ailments that kept them out of the lineup, the Warriors could have easily been deflated and folded up the tent once Butler went down with the injury. However, they rallied around their fallen superstar, and the next man up mentality didn't allow the Heat to make any kind of a comeback. The Warriors closed out the game outscoring the Heat 31-19 in the fourth quarter.

“It was great," Kerr said after the game. "The guys played really well. A lot of guys stepped up, and I mean we shot the lights out and did a good job taking care of the ball. It was a very physical game. You know that’s a big strong team, they had 20 offensive boards. I thought we battled really well all night.”

The Warriors don't have time to dwell on the Bulter injury as they face the Toronto Raptors in the back end of a back-to-back as they conclude their season long eight-game homestand tonight at 7:00pm from Chase Center.