Draymond Green Says Jimmy Butler 'Couldn't Move' Until 4Q Due to Injury vs. Rockets

If you have ever wondered how long it takes for your body to loosen up from a pelvic and deep gluteal muscle contusion in an NBA playoff game, the answer is three quarters if you are Jimmy Butler.

After Butler erupted for 14 points in the fourth quarter of the Golden State Warriors' 109-106 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 4 on Monday, Draymond Green told reporters the six-time All-Star "couldn't move" for the first three quarters:

"He played through the injury. Was beautiful. But what his presence does for this team is humongous. The first three quarters, he couldn't move. Not sure how he started moving in the fourth quarter, but he never complained. He stuck with it.

"I think what was most important, when the time was right, everybody on our side looked to get him the ball. When you get him the ball, he made great things happen for himself or for others. It was huge. I think my favorite play was the last rebound. I looked up, I thought it was [young and athletic Jonathan] Kuminga out there flying. It was Jimmy."

Butler sat out Saturday's game taking a hard fall in the first quarter of Houston's 109-94 Game 2 win.

Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters prior to tipoff on Monday that the 35-year-old wouldn't have a minutes restriction, but his playing time would depend on how his body was feeling.

Butler seemed to be battling through the injury in the first half when he scored just four points on three shot attempts in 18 minutes and the Warriors trailed 57-50 at the intermission.

The third quarter saw him come alive with nine points to enter the final period with a two-point lead. He played all 12 minutes in the fourth quarter, shooting 4-of-7 from the field and scoring 14 of Golden State's 27 points.

Butler has been everything the Warriors hoped for in the playoffs when they acquired him from the Miami Heat at the trade deadline. He has scored at least 25 points in each of his last three full games dating back to the play-in tournament win over the Memphis Grizzlies, not counting the game when he suffered the injury and only played eight minutes.

Monday's victory has Golden State on the verge of clinching its first playoff series win in two years. The Warriors will look to close things out at Toyota Center in Game 5 on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.