Jimmy Butler is the face of Miami Heat and the franchise struggles when he is unfit. As the Miami Heat prepare to face the Chicago Bulls to get into playoffs, Butler’s injury is making Heat fans sweat.
Jimmy Butler injury
The star guard took a serious tumble, and with him went Miami Heat supporters’ dreams of making it to the postseason this year. Shams Charania claims that Butler will be sidelined for an undetermined amount of time due to an MCL injury.
In the play-in game between the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers, Butler was injured in the first quarter. The former star of the 76ers attempted a layup but fell hard and was seen to be in a lot of agony.
When is the MRI scan?
To figure out the full extent of his injury, Butler is expected to have an MRI on Thursday. The cause of the injury is unknown, but it could very well keep him out of action forever. If that happens, he won’t be able to participate in Friday’s win-or-go-home game against the Chicago Bulls, nor, if Miami makes it to the postseason, any of the games.
He played the full game despite falling, ending with 40 minutes and 19 points in the loss. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra stated that Butler’s knee “started to limit him a little more” as the game went on.
When he is on the floor, Butler is a dedicated team player who plays with all of his heart. But, it’s possible that playing for over 30 minutes while injured worsened the ailment, which might mean a longer recovery time.
Narrow loss for the Heat against the 76ers
Butler who is averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and five assists per game this season, was nowhere near his best after the injury. He struggled with efficiency and shot just 5-of-18 from the field Wednesday.
His teammates provided support but that wasn’t enough as the Heat suffered a one-point loss against the 76ers. Tyler Herro led the Heat with 25 points and nine assists in the loss, and rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 15 points off the bench.
