Jimmy Butler scored 17 points against his former team before exiting with a right knee injury, and the Golden State Warriors cruised past the Miami Heat 135-112 on Monday night.
The victory was overshadowed by Butler’s injury midway through the third quarter. The Warriors star went down awkwardly after catching a pass in the paint and colliding with Miami guard Davion Mitchell, who was whistled for a foul at the 7:41 mark. Butler’s knee buckled on the landing, and he remained on the floor for several minutes, grimacing and clutching at his knee before being helped to the locker room by Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield. Golden State said Butler will undergo an MRI, with no further update expected until Tuesday.
Golden State was sharp offensively despite the scare. Stephen Curry finished with 19 points and 11 assists, Brandin Podziemski scored a season-high 24 points with six rebounds, and Hield added 16. The Warriors played without Draymond Green, who was held out as a precaution because of a right ankle sprain and is expected to return Tuesday.
Miami struggled to keep pace and dropped its fourth straight road game. Norman Powell led the Heat with 21 points, while Andrew Wiggins scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds in his return to Chase Center, where he helped Golden State win the 2022 NBA championship. The Heat fell to 7-14 away from home and opened a five-game West Coast trip with another loss.
Tempers flared briefly in the closing seconds, with some shoving between reserves after the outcome had been decided.
The Warriors played on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for the 13th time in 14 seasons, marking their second straight year hosting the holiday game.
Up next:
The Heat continue their trip at Sacramento on Tuesday night, while the Warriors remain home to face Toronto.
