Golden State Warriors' Jimmy Butler Suffers Season-Ending ACL Injury

During Monday's 135-112 victory over the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee. Butler, who had contributed 17 points, injured himself while chasing the ball beneath the Warriors' basket with 7:41 remaining in the third quarter. He immediately fell to the court in pain and was assisted off to the locker room, where an MRI was performed following the game.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed concern after the match, stating, "We're all really concerned. We'll know more after the MRI, obviously. We don't know anything at this point. Everybody is subdued because of the injury, waiting, waiting to hear the news."

Butler, 36, has battled previous injuries to the same knee, including a torn meniscus in February 2018 and a sprained medial collateral ligament this past April. This season, he has averaged 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists over 38 games. A six-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-Defensive Team honoree, Butler is in his 15th season and is currently with his fifth NBA franchise. Over his career, he has posted averages of 18.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game.

The Warriors improved to 25-19 on the season with the win, marking their best streak of four consecutive victories. Sitting eighth in the Western Conference, Golden State is within 1.5 games of the sixth seed, the final guaranteed playoff spot, positioning them currently in the play-in competition.

Golden State will conclude their eight-game homestand on Tuesday with a matchup against the Toronto Raptors, before embarking on a four-game road trip to Dallas, Minnesota (two games), and Utah.