The Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors are all tied up at one game apiece in their first round NBA playoff series. Early on in Game 2, star Warriors’ forward Jimmy Butler took a nasty fall and missed the rest of the game.

Following the injury, Rockets’ point guard Fred VanVleet had a message to send to Golden State veteran forward Draymond Green.

While the message was only five words long, it was a major warning for the rest of the series about how the injury could impact the series. The message was shared by Legion Hoops on X.

“You better pray Jimmy’s back,” he said.

VanVleet’s words come with a lot of truth. Before acquiring Butler, the Warriors were not a feared team in the Western Conference. Following the trade, Golden State has been on fire.

 

Fred VanVleet 

Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet.

© Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Without Butler on the court, things were much easier for Houston. Now, the Warriors can only hope that he’ll be able to make a return to the court in Game 3.

Throughout the first two games of the series, VanVleet has not made a huge impact. In Game 1, he scored 10 points to go along with seven assists. He followed up that performance with seven points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists, and a block in Game 2.

Jalen Green, on the other hand, put up a huge performance in Game 2. He scored 38 points on 13-for-25 shooting to lead his Rockets to a win after scoring just seven points in Game 1.

Game 3 will be played on Saturday evening, with tip time scheduled at 8:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcasted on ABC.