Jimmy Butler III faces anxious wait on MRI scan after suffering knee injury

Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III is awaiting MRI results after suffering a right knee injury during Monday's victory over the Miami Heat, casting a shadow over the team's season-best fourth consecutive win.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr expressed significant concern following the 135-112 triumph in San Francisco.

"We're all really concerned," Kerr stated. "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, a six-time All-Star, went down in pain with 7:41 remaining in the third quarter while contesting a ball under the Warriors' basket.

He had already scored a team-high 17 points before being helped off the court. The 36-year-old has a history of issues with the same knee, including a torn meniscus in February 2018 and a sprained medial collateral ligament in April 2024.

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This season, Butler has been a key contributor, averaging 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists across 38 games.

His potential absence could significantly impact the Warriors, who improved to 25-19 and currently hold eighth place in the Western Conference, a play-in position. They are just 1 1/2 games shy of a guaranteed playoff spot.

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

Elsewhere on Monday night, the Detroit Pistons edged a thrilling contest on home turf as they beat the Boston Celtics 104-103 to move to 31-10.

The Phoenix Suns picked up a more comfortable victory as they defeated the Brooklyn Nets 126-117 on the road, while the Philadelphia 76ers also overcame the Indiana Pacers 113-104 in front of their home fans to take their overall record to 23-18 for the season.