The Warriors just wrapped up their regular season with a 124-119 overtime loss to the LA Clippers — a game that felt more like late April than mid-April. Tight rotations, high stakes, and the star power on full display. Yep, Play-In vibes are officially here. Play-In, not the Playoffs for the Warriors?

Well, after this loss, it’s official. The Dubs will be entering the Play-In tournament as the 7th seed in the Western Conference. But the postgame chatter wasn’t just about the scoreboard. There were two health updates stole the spotlight — one is concerning, but one oddly comforting.

Let’s start with the Bad one, Jimmy Butler. he was his usual self for most of the night, dropping 30 points, 9 assists, and 1 rebound. But towards the end of the game, Butler was seen limping. When asked about it during the post-game interview, Steve Kerr replied, “It was his quad. I think he got a, like, a knee in the quad, but he said he’s okay.” Sure, it was reassuring that Butler claimed he was fine, but the timing of the injury coming at the end of such a deciding match does raise some concern for the Heat that they’re about to face coming in the Play-Ins. 

Then there’s Steph. Is his thumb still sore? Maybe. But you wouldn’t know it watching him light it up for 36 points, 6 assists, and 3 boards, going 7-of-12 from deep. When asked if there was any concern, Steve Kerr pretty much shrugged it off, saying, “Well, that’s what makes Tuesday’s game really important… if we can take care of business, then he’ll have — we will have — 4 or 5 days before the first playoff game… So yeah, I’m not worried about Steph… sore thumb. And he goes seven for 12 from three and 36 points. So Steph is Steph.”

Yep. Same old Steph. Limp or not, this ride’s far from over.

Jimmy Butler Battling Through Injury and Stepping Up for the Warriors

Jimmy Butler just doesn’t know how to back down. After taking a knee to the left thigh from Kawhi Leonard late in the game, the guy was limping around postgame, but that’s not stopping him. With the Play-In tournament just around the corner, we know Butler’s gonna push through the pain and give it his all for his team — because that’s just what he does.

Now, about that injury — yeah, it looked a little concerning. But when asked about it, Butler just shrugged it off. He cracked a joke, saying, “Play some domino, need some coffee to help me feel better.” It was the kind of comment that made fans exhale, knowing Butler’s toughness isn’t going anywhere.

Butler didn’t stop there. When the topic about playing big minutes came up, he said, “I mean I would like to hope so, whatever it takes to win at this point, for everybody, 48s needed, 50s needed, then gotta be able to do it.” Classic Butler — he’s always ready to put in the work, no matter how tough it gets.

And let’s talk about why he’s such a difference-maker. Butler is averaging 17.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game, while shooting an impressive 50.1% from the field leading Warriors to a 23-7 record after his joining. It’s not just his scoring, it’s his all-around game that makes him so valuable . The Warriors need that kind of versatility as they look to make a run in the Play-In.

The bottom line is that Jimmy Butler’s resilience is something else. The Warriors can always count on him to show up — even if he’s hurting. That’s exactly the kind of player they need as they push to make their spot in the playoffs.