Jimmy Butler's Agent Gives Cryptic Update on Warriors Star's Injury Ahead of Game 3

The agent for Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler remained vague when addressing his client's status for Game 3 against the Houston Rockets.

Andscape's Marc J. Spears relayed a text message from Bernie Lee saying, "Pray for the bear" in reference to his client:

"Pray for the bear" is something Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant said in 2013 after tearing his Achilles. That was his way of signaling his determination to recover from the injury and return to an NBA court.

Butler's prognosis isn't anywhere near as serious, but the scary fall he had in Golden State's 109-94 loss had a lot of fans concerned. The six-time All-Star went up for a rebound in the first quarter when he was inadvertently undercut by Rockets forward Amen Thompson.

Golden State said Butler suffered a pelvic contusion. He didn't return to the game, and head coach Steve Kerr was unable to provide any additional insight after the game.

"Jimmy always says he's gonna be fine, but we have to wait and see with the MRI," he told reporters.

Kerr was candid when discussing Butler's potential absence moving forward, saying the Warriors would "have to rethink everything" in that situation:

By the numbers, Butler hasn't been much different in Golden State than he was with the Miami Heat to open the year. He averaged 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 30 appearances with the Warriors, and he shot just 27.9 percent from beyond the arc.

But there's no question the 35-year-old provided a lift after the trade deadline. His value was also evident in the Warriors' 95-85 Game 1 win, when he finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals. The team was plus-14 with him on the court.

As the No. 7 seed, Golden State has a difficult enough path in the Western Conference half of the bracket. Losing Butler even for a game or two would be a massive setback.