Jimmy Butlers Game 3 status is turning into a Warriors mystery

Jimmy Butler may be an undefined piece of the equation for Game 3 of the Warriors-Rockets playoff series.“Golden State’s Jimmy Butler has been diagnosed with a deep glute muscle contusion and his status for Game 3 against the Houston Rockets is in serious jeopardy,” ESPN insider Shams Charania reported Thursday night.This was the first report of Butler’s health after he suffered a hard, scary fall in Game 2 that forced him out of the contest early.Butler played just seven minutes in the loss that tied the series 1-1, as many wondered if he would return for Game 3, or at all in the series against Houston.But Friday afternoon, fellow ESPN reporter Ohm Youngmisuk said that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is “relatively optimistic” that Butler plays on Saturday.“I think there’s a chance he plays,” Kerr said.Kerr’s speculation adds clarity to the rest of Charania’s report, which said that the outcome of Butler’s injury was “best case” as he “avoided any fracture or structural damage.”So while returning for Game 3 is still up in the air, Butler’s status for the rest of the series seems to be in a much better position than many initially expected.The Warriors will need a speedy recovery from Butler as they have been at their best since acquiring him from the Heat at the trade deadline in February.Butler played his first game for Golden State on Feb.

8 when the 25-26 Warriors improved to .500 with a 21-point win over the Bulls.From sitting a game below .500, Golden State then closed the season 23-8 to finish 48-34 and earn the No.

7 seed in a tightly competitive Western Conference. The 35-year-old Butler has missed just one game since joining the Warriors — a 126-119 loss against one of his former teams, the 76ers.So, while Golden State has been a well-oiled machine since acquiring Butler, playing without him is essentially uncharted territory. Stephen Curry projects to have an even bigger offensive load on his shoulders — whether Bu...