The Golden State Warriors host the Oklahoma City Thunder in a blockbuster Friday night matchup at Chase Center.
But the Warriors, already shorthanded entering their showdown with the defending NBA champions, were dealt another blow on the injury front on Friday afternoon.
Shams Charania has revealed that Jimmy Butler will miss the Thunder game due to illness. He will join Stephen Curry (ankle) and Draymond Green (rest) in street clothes as the Warriors will try to take down top-seeded Oklahoma City without any of their Big Three.
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Butler has played 30 of Golden State's 34 games this season, and he is second on the team in scoring at 19.7 points per game. The six-time All-Star has been vital on the other end, too; Golden State ranks fourth in the NBA in defensive efficiency despite their 18-16 record.
Golden State's Stephen Curry (ankle), Jimmy Butler (illness) and Draymond Green (rest) will miss tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, sources tell me and @anthonyVslater.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 2, 2026
It was already looking like a tough ask for the Warriors to upend the 29-5 Thunder. With Butler missing out, the odds just got even slimmer.
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