Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors defeated the Miami Heat 135-112 at home on Monday. However, the joy was overshadowed by Jimmy Butler’s injury.
The star forward had to leave the game against his former team at 7:41 of the third quarter after falling awkwardly on his right knee following contact with Davion Mitchell. After the game, Stephen Curry broke his silence about his teammate’s injury.
Curry supported Butler after his serious injury
During the game, Brandin Podziemski and Steph scored 24 and 19 points respectively to lead the Warriors to their fourth consecutive victory. However, Butler’s injury and the forward’s pain when he fell were evident, as was the concern of his teammates and Warriors fans, overshadowing this new victory. The six-time All-Star was unable to leave the court on his own and had to be assisted by Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II.
Later, the bad news was confirmed: Butler suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will miss the rest of the season, according to ESPN. The recovery time for the 36-year-old forward’s injury is estimated to be around eight months, although it will depend on how he progresses.
His absence is a huge blow to the Warriors, but especially to one of his best partners on the court, Stephen. After the game, even before Butler’s injury was revealed, Curry spoke to the media and sent his support:
“I haven’t talked to him since the game, but you never like to see a situation like that, especially somebody as tough as he is,” Steph said.
In addition, Golden State’s #30 revealed that the forward remained in good spirits despite his injury: “He [Jimmy] was still cracking jokes over there while he was on the ground. In true Jimmy fashion, always gonna have a good time no matter what the situation is…” Curry recounted. “He was trying to get to the FT line. He said it was two shots.”
Before leaving the game, Jimmy had 17 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. In 37 games with the Warriors this season, he has averaged 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists.
Meanwhile, as the team restructures following Butler’s absence, the Warriors will return to action on Tuesday, January 20, when they host the Toronto Raptors at Chase Stadium.
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