Warriors unable to complete comeback against Thunder following Jimmy Butler's exit due to knee injury

Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler had to leave Tuesday night's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a knee injury, but his team nearly staged an impressive rally in his absence.

Butler initially left the court midway through the second quarter after tripping and losing his shoe along the baseline. He managed to put his shoe back on while limping and returned briefly to the game following a timeout. However, he appeared in discomfort again before halftime and did not return for the second half.

The Warriors officially ruled Butler out with a left knee issue before the fourth quarter. In the 15 minutes he played, Butler scored six points and grabbed three rebounds, shooting 2-of-7 from the field. Prior to this game, he had been averaging 20.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per contest this season, shooting nearly 53% from the field.

Without Butler, Golden State fell behind by as many as 22 points in the third quarter, but mounted a strong comeback in the second half. They even took a brief lead in the fourth quarter, only for Oklahoma City to pull away and secure a 124-112 victory, handing the Warriors their second defeat of the season.

The Warriors managed this effort without Stephen Curry, who remains sidelined with a quad injury. Off the bench, four playersBuddy Hield, Gary Payton II, Pat Spencer, and Seth Curryeach scored in double digits.

Golden State's record now stands at 11-11, having lost five of their last seven games, while the team anxiously monitors Butler's recovery. Meanwhile, the Thunder improved to 21-1 despite missing key contributors Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, and Alex Caruso, maintaining their momentum this season.

Author: Sophia Brooks