Jimmy Butler will not return to the Thunder clash due to a knee injury

The Golden State Warriors they were already shorthand against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but beating the defending NBA champions is an even tougher task without Jimmy Butler. The star wing suffered a knee injury midway through the second quarter of Tuesday night’s Western Conference clash and went to the locker room. He in the end he was excluded for the rest of the contest, according to the Warriors account on NBC Sports X.

Butler finished the game with six points on 2-of-6 shooting. The Dubs were forced to play against their top two players, as Stephen Curry was sidelined with a quadriceps injury. If that wasn’t enough trouble, the defense is a steady and valuable facilitator Draymond Green picked up his fifth foul in the third quarter.

Golden State (11-11) fought valiantly and held a lead in the fourth, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC (21-1) rallied late to secure a 124-112 road victory.

Jimmy Butler is not on the court or bench for the Warriors to start the second half.

This is the game he showed discomfort in the 2nd quarter.pic.twitter.com/KIjkGiVALk

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 3, 2025

“If the Warriors are healthy, the rest of the league better watch out. Fans have heard the media make that argument for several years. It’s a reasonable thing to do, to be clear, but injuries continue to hold back Golden State’s momentum. Curry is 37, Butler is 36, and Green is 35. The Warriors rely heavily on this aging, but having the three of them on the court together for an extended period of time proves to be a stiff challenge.

Of course, these questions contribute inconsistent playwhich in turn forces the Dubs into a hole they have to climb out of during the second half of the season. It’s hard for an aging team to expend significant energy just to make the playoffs, but there may not be an end to this unfortunate cycle.

Golden State is counting on Butler to lighten Curry’s offensive load when needed. At present, however, he is tasked with carrying a significant burden on his own. Ideally, the 2023 All-NBA Second Team selection would be good to go later this week after this early departure.

Jimmy Butler averaged 20.2 points on 52.7 percent shooting with 5.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals in this matchup with the Thunder. The Warriors can grow from this resilient effort against the champions as they prepare for a three-game road trip.