Timberwolves' Butler out indefinitely with meniscus tear

Jimmy Butler didn't tear his ACL, but a right meniscus tear will keep the Minnesota Timberwolves' All-Star guard on the shelf for the foreseeable future.

Butler's results from an MRI exam revealed on Saturday that he suffered only a right meniscus tear, not an ACL injury as originally feared, when he was injured during Friday's game in Houston.

"The Minnesota Timberwolves announced that an MRI ... taken this afternoon on Wolves forward Jimmy Butler's right knee revealed a meniscal injury," the team said in a statement. "The evaluation and MRI was conducted by Team Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Diane Dahm at Mayo Clinic. Further updates as to Butler's progress will be issued when more information becomes available."

Butler had to be carried off the court after he sustained the non-contact injury to his right knee in the third quarter of the Timberwolves' 120-102 loss to the rockets. He finished with 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting in 25 minutes.

On Saturday, Butler posted a picture of himself on Instagram accompanied by a caption saying "a wise man once told me... you gotta take the crooked with the straights... so I just smile through it all."

Butler, 28, is averaging a team-leading 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists through 56 games this season, his first with Minnesota after spending his first six with Chicago and being traded last offseason.

--Field Level Media