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The No. 7 seed Golden State Warriors have a 2-1 lead over the Houston Rockets in the first round series of the Western Conference playoffs.
The Warriors took Games 1 and 3 with the Rockets winning Game 2, so it has been a back-and-forth battle thus far. However, the Warriors saw Jimmy Butler leave Game 2 early with an injury that was later revealed a deep glute contusion.
As a result, Butler missed all of Game 3, and his status for Game 4 is up in the air. In Game 3 on Saturday night, it didn't matter much as Stephen Curry exploded with 36 points to lead Golden State to the 104-93 win.
Will Jimmy Butler Play in Warriors-Rockets Game 4?
Still, questions are swirling about when Butler will return. With each passing day, the chances of Butler returning get better. The Warriors just played on Saturday, so an injury report from the team should be coming on Sunday.
However, Anthony Slater of The Athletic gave a key update on Butler's potential status.
"Jimmy Butler worked out on the practice court pregame, per source. Medical team held him out to give body two more days to heal, but there’s a belief he will be back for Game 4 on Monday night with the Warriors searching for 3-1 series lead over the Rockets."
Slater reporting that there is a "belief" Butler will be ready for Game 4 is a strong use of his words that likely hints at his progression, so take that as you will.
Of course, things can change until Monday night, but these latest signs point to Butler potentially returning for Game 4.
The Rockets and Warriors play in Game 4 on Monday at 7:00 PM PST in California before the series returns to Houston.
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