![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages_JimmyButler_0120_.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
An MRI exam Monday after the injury revealed\u00a0Jimmy Butler\u00a0tore the ACL in his right knee during the third quarter.<\/p>\n
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) \u2014 Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors are still coming to terms with how dramatically their season changes after Jimmy Butler III\u2019s season-ending right knee injury and how they must depend on their depth going forward without the do-everything guard.<\/p>\n
An MRI exam late Monday after the injury revealed\u00a0Butler<\/a>\u00a0tore the ACL in his right knee during the third quarter of a\u00a0135-112 victory<\/a>\u00a0earlier in the night against his former Miami team and will need surgery. He landed awkwardly moments after catching a pass in the paint following a collision with the Heat\u2019s Davion Mitchell.<\/p>\n The 36-year-old Butler\u2019s surgery date hadn\u2019t been set.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, most of all just disappointed for Jimmy. He\u2019s having a great year. I felt like the last couple weeks he was really at the top of his game,\u201d Kerr said before a home game against Toronto on Tuesday. \u201cSo for him and for us obviously, for him individually, in the middle of a really great season with a lot of possibilities, a lot of excitement with the team the way was playing, I just feel terrible for him that he\u2019s going to miss the rest of the year. It\u2019s part of the game, I know, injuries are a part of it, but it hurts for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Butler\u2019s knee buckled upon landing and he screamed, grimaced and grabbed at his knee while down for a couple minutes. He needed teammates Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield to escort him off the court to the locker room after the fall on the Warriors\u2019 offensive end. When he finally got up with assistance, he was unable to put any pressure on his knee.<\/p>\n In just under 21 minutes, Butler had 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting, four assists and three rebounds. He was Golden State\u2019s second-leading scorer behind Stephen Curry, having averaged 20 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists.<\/p>\n \u201cYou just look at it matter-of-factly. We get it, this is part of the NBA, part of sports,\u201d Kerr said. \u201cI\u2019m not going to spend a whole lot of time analyzing where we are in the food chain of the NBA, I\u2019m going to focus on what we can do to win tonight and win the next game. We have a good vibe going, we have a really good rhythm, we\u2019ve found I think a pattern of connecting the game offensively and defensively. I think we can continue to do those things and win games. And if we do that, we build confidence, we build momentum and keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n Golden State had won four straight games and 12 of 16 going into the final game of its eight-game homestand.<\/p>\n