The Golden State Warriors have listed Jimmy Butler as questionable for Game 4 of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets at Chase Center on Monday night.
The 6x All-Star exited during the first-quarter of Game 2 after a nasty fall on a defensive rebound, subsequently missing Game 3 as well after being diagnosed with a deep glute contusion.
There's hope that Butler will return in what's a critical Game 4 where the Warriors could take control of the series, having taken a 2-1 advantage after a 104-93 Game 3 victory despite their star trade acquisition sitting on the sidelines.
However, clearly Butler will be given right up until game time to prove his health, with the Game 3 win perhaps even giving Golden State some leeway to ensure they don't take any risks with the veteran forward.
What do the Warriors do with their starting lineup if Jimmy Butler is out?
Butler's absence on Saturday night caused a major revamp to a starting lineup that had otherwise remained incredibly consistent over the past 30 games. Not only did Jonathan Kuminga replace the injured Butler, but Moses Moody's run of 31-straight starts came to an end as Steve Kerr preferred to go big with rookie center Quinten Post.
Yet that starting lineup wasn't utilized in the final period, with Kuminga not seeing a single second and Post playing just over five minutes. Moody and Buddy Hield each played over eight fourth-quarter minutes, while Gary Payton II also played nearly eight minutes and crucially had 11 points as the Warriors outscored the Rockets 35-22.
Does that fourth-quarter stem into the start of Game 4 in the event that Butler is out? Could Moody earn a recall, or does Payton earn the start? The latter entering for Kuminga may be the most obvious move, particularly after he proved so effective playing off the gravity of Stephen Curry as three of Payton's five baskets in the fourth were assisted by the 2x MVP.
While Post wasn't part of the closing lineup and scored just two points on 1-of-7 shooting in Game 3, the seven-footer had a career-high 12 rebounds, dished four assists and was hugely effective guarding Amen Thompson who shot just 5-of-16 from the floor as the Rockets offense struggled in the second-half.
Hopefully it's all a moot point and Butler is ready and available for Game 4, with the reliance on Curry leading to victory on Saturday but probably not sustainable over the course of a full series.
