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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves say Jimmy Butler has had an MRI that revealed a meniscal injury to his right knee.

The Timberwolves did not provide a timeline for Butler's absence Saturday, but it is likely good news that it is a cartilage injury, and not a ligament.

The team stopped short of calling the injury a tear, and coach Tom Thibodeau said he didn't want to speculate on timing. Still, the news Saturday could've been worse for the organization, which feared a season-ending torn ligament after Butler had to be helped off the floor Friday night in a loss at Houston.

"The big thing is ruling out the ACL, that would've been an extended amount of time, so we're hopeful that it's not too long," Thibodeau said.

Nemanja Bjelicao started in Butler's place on Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls.

"A guy like Jimmy, you don't replace him individually, you have to do it collectively," Thibodeau said.

Butler was hurt Friday night at Houston in the third quarter and had to be carried off the court by a pair of teammates. The Wolves lost 120-102 to the Rockets and the All-Star had the MRI on Saturday at Mayo Clinic.

The Wolves said more updates on Butler's progress would be issued when information became available.

In his first season with Minnesota, Butler has helped lead the team to the thick of the Western Conference race, averaging 22.2 points. They were in fourth place before play Saturday, in position to end a 13-year absence from the playoffs.

The big man destroyed the Suns with 53 points, 18 rebounds, three assists and five blocks while shooting 16-of-29 from the field and setting a career-high with 21 made free throws on 26 attempts, according to the Advocate's Christian Boutwell.

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He also tied an NBA record in the process, per Elias Sports Bureau (h/t ESPN Stats & Info):


Twitter naturally reacted to his monster game, starting with his own team:




New Orleans is now 34-26 and within 1.5 games of the San Antonio Spurs for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference even though it is playing without the injured DeMarcus Cousins, who was lost for the season with an Achilles injury.

Davis' greatness is the primary reason the Pelicans are not only winning but also competing with some of the best teams in the league in a tight Western Conference playoff race.

Monday's performance tied a record, as pointed out in the aforementioned ESPN tweet, but it was also more of the same in a pattern of dominant statistical performances:



Davis is a five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA First Team selection, so basketball fans have grown accustomed to seeing him stuff the stat sheet throughout his career. Still, his play entering the stretch run of this season has propelled the Pelicans as a true contender in the West and will surely give top-seeded squads in the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets pause when evaluating the postseason landscape.

Even those teams would have their hands full trying to stop Davis throughout a best-of-seven series.

He wasn't without some minor flaws against the Suns, though, as Twitter pointed out in tongue-in-cheek fashion:




Here are the best of some of the other reactions:





New Orleans has now won six games in a row and continues climbing up the standings. It will be put to the test Wednesday when it hits the road to face the Spurs in a head-to-head showdown that will directly impact the race for the No. 3 seed.

If Davis plays like he did Monday, the Pelicans will likely be in position to steal a win on the road and continue their streak.

San Antonio star Kawhi Leonard plans to resume working with the team at the Spurs' practice facility this week -- with hopes of returning by late March, league sources told ESPN.

Leonard has returned to San Antonio from New York, where he spent three weeks seeking further consultation on a right quad injury that has sidelined him for most of the season, league sources said.

Leonard isn't expected to immediately start engaging in full 5-on-5 practices with his teammates, but the goal is to advance toward that level of engagement in the near future, league sources said.

In New York, Leonard had been working out at the National Basketball Players Association headquarters gymnasium, sources said.

Leonard decided to step away from playing following a nine-game return to the Spurs that ended on Jan. 13. His return to the lineup continues to be based on his comfort level with managing the injury.


Kawhi Leonard is back with the Spurs after spending three weeks getting additional consultation on his right quad injury, according to sources. Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters last week that he'd be "surprised" if Leonard returns this season. Spurs officials are clearly starting to prepare Leonard's teammates for the possibility that they'll have to enter the playoffs without him. San Antonio is 36-25 and currently in third place in the Western Conference playoff chase.

The injury, rehabilitation and timetable for a return has played a part in complicating the Spurs' and Leonard's relationship, causing a fraying of what had long seemed to be a model partnership, league sources told ESPN. The uncertainty surrounding this season -- and Leonard's future, which could include free agency in the summer of 2019 -- has created significant concern at the highest levels of the organization, league sources said.

"We only have X number of games left in the season, and he's still not ready to go," Popovich told reporters in San Antonio last week. "If by some chance he is, it's gonna be pretty late into the season and it's going to be a pretty tough decision -- how late to bring somebody back. So that's why I'm just trying to be honest and logical. I'll be surprised if he gets back this year."

Leonard has developed into one of the NBA's most dominant players and had been expected to be an MVP front-runner this season. He's a two-time first-team All-NBA selection and defensive player of the year, and was named NBA Finals MVP in the 2014 championship series against Miami.