What we learned as Jimmy Butler injured in Warriors' Game 2 loss to Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
HOUSTON – When the Warriors return to San Francisco on Thursday, they’ll be doing so as a beat-up team needing to find their home-court advantage after a 109-94 loss Wednesday to the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
The loss evened the series at one win apiece. The final score also wasn’t as top of mind as usual.
Warriors star Jimmy Butler exited late in the first quarter after a hard fall to the hardwood that resulted in a pelvis contusion. He will undergo an MRI on Thursday after the Warriors return the Bay Area.
Steph Curry wasn’t able to recreate his masterful Game 1 performance. Curry had 20 points on 6-of-15 shooting and was 4 of 9 from deep in 37 minutes. He also had five rebounds and nine assists, but a game-high six turnovers.
He also was without his co-star for the majority of the game. Butler’s night only lasted eight minutes, in which he had three points on two shot attempts. The rest of the starting five – Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody – combined to score 20 points on 18 shots. Podziemski battled an illness and was scoreless, going 0 of 5 overall.
Golden State’s defense held Houston to six made 3-pointers in Game 1. Jalen Green, who scored just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting to open the series, scored eight threes himself. Green played a huge role in the Rockets’ win, exploding for a game-high 38 points.
The Warriors’ loss looked more like a football game or rugby match than basketball. WrestleMania made its way to Houston but these aren’t actors. There were a handful of “F–k you, Draymond” chants from Rockets fans and technical fouls for both sides.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ Game 2 loss.
Physicality Ramps Up
The next time someone says the modern NBA is soft, show them this series. It already was obvious the Rockets were going to grab Curry until the referees blew their whistle. Anything to slow him down. In the first quarter alone, it felt like these two teams were going to trade the ball for boxing gloves.
With four minutes left in the first quarter, Steve Kerr called a timeout not to slow the Rockets’ momentum but to let his feelings be known loudly to the refs. Not even two minutes later, a scary sight had everyone on the edge of their seats as Amen Thompson got under Butler in mid-air and the Warriors star slammed to the ground. He took a long time to get up before taking two free throws, missing his first and making his second.
Butler shortly after limped to the locker room with his personal trainer, as well as Warriors director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini. He was ruled out for the rest of the game with eight minutes left in the second quarter because of a pelvis contusion.
His injury was far from the only example of an extremely physical game. Curry and Kerr showed more frustrations than usual, and the Warriors looked like a team that desperately needs this series to end as quickly as possible.
Depth Tested
Podziemski was a late addition to the Warriors’ injury report with an illness three hours before tipoff. Coach Steve Kerr said Podziemski had a stomach issue from something he ate and had to go through pregame warmups to see if he could beat his bug. Podziemski battled through his shooting routine but toughed it out and was in the starting lineup.
The second-year pro came up clutch Sunday in his playoff debut, scoring 14 points with a team-high eight rebounds, plus five assists and two steals, making him a game-high plus-17. Right away, it was clear how much Podziemski was hurting in Game 2.
Kerr’s first substitution was bringing Gary Payton II in for Podziemski. He returned but Curry replaced him for the final 28 seconds of the first quarter and Podziemski, during the second quarter,r was deemed questionable for the rest of the game while in the locker room because of his illness. Podziemski made his return with a little more than six minutes left in the third quarter as the Warriors trailed by 15 points.
Butler’s injury opened the door for the return of Jonathan Kuminga, who was a DNP-CD (Did Not Play, Coach’s Decision) in the Warriors’ previous three games. Pat Spencer came in for Podziemski and played his most real minutes since the Warriors’ win against the Rockets on Feb. 13. The backup point guard deserves to be commended for his efforts, recognizing the Rockets’ foul trouble and scoring nine points over nine minutes in the second quarter.
Kuminga had 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting in 26 minutes.
Help Wanted
There isn’t a world where Spencer can be one of the Warriors’ most reliable bench scorers and they move onto the next round. Kuminga got to the basket, but he was far too inefficient trying to score by himself, missing at the rim on multiple occasions. Rust is a factor, but he didn’t look like a player Kerr can rely on, even if Butler misses the next game or more.
Rookie center Quinten Post undoubtedly made mistakes. He also proved getting through the first game loosened him up, and Post hit four 3-pointers for 12 points in 25 minutes off the bench. His role could increase moving forward.
Maybe Podziemski gets over his illness quickly and he finds his shot again. Moody knocked down three threes but they felt empty and Buddy Hield was a non-factor for the second straight game. Gui Santos’ minus-8 plus/minus was the worst among Warriors reserves.
The Warriors have scored under 100 points in the first two games of the series and in five of the seven games against the Rockets this season.
The fact is, the Warriors don’t have a No. 2 scorer without Butler. His MRI results could erase major worries. Someone, though, will have to step up with or without him.
