Heat's Jimmy Butler: Out several weeks with MCL sprain
Rotowire
The Heat announced Thursday that Butler has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and will miss several weeks, Tim Reynolds of Associated Press reports.
Butler suffered his right knee injury late in the first quarter of Wednesday's Play-In Game loss to the 76ers, but he remained in the game down the stretch despite a limp. However, the injury is significant enough to sideline him for multiple weeks, so even if the Heat take down the Bulls on Friday, it seems unlikely that Butler will be in the mix to return during a first-round series against Boston. Jaime Jaquez will likely take on a starting role in Butler's absence, while Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin could also see additional playing time.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Facing multi-week absence
Rotowire
Butler is expected to be sidelined for several weeks after sustaining an MCL injury to his right knee Wednesday in the Heat's 105-104 loss to the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Butler sustained the injury in the final minute of the first quarter, and while he remained in the game, he was clearly operating at well below full strength and ultimately finished with 19 points (5-18 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT), five assists, five steals and four rebounds in 40 minutes. The Heat will send Butler in for an MRI on Thursday before providing an updated diagnosis of his injury, but the 34-year-old looks safe to count out for Friday's Play-In Tournament matchup with the Bulls, and quite likely, the first round of the playoffs if Miami should advance. Jaime Jaquez has regularly picked up starts when Butler missed time during the regular season, and the rookie first-round pick as well as Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin could all benefit from added minutes Friday.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Dealing with possible MCL injury
Rotowire
Butler is feared to have sustained an MCL injury in his right knee, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Butler finished out Wednesday's Play-In Tournament game against the 76ers despite sporting a limp in his right leg. While he was reported to be undergoing an MRI on Thursday, Butler's injury could be more serious than initially expected. If it ends up being an MCL injury, it's highly unlikely that Butler will be able to play in Friday's Play-In elimination game. In that scenario, Jaime Jaquez, Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin would likely see more minutes.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Undergoing MRI on knee
Rotowire
Butler will have an MRI on Thursday after sustaining a right knee injury during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Tournament loss to the 76ers, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports. He played 40 minutes and generated 19 points (5-18 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT), five assists, four rebounds and five steals.
Butler appeared to tweak his knee late in the first quarter after being fouled but remained in the game at less than 100 percent, sporting a noticeable limp at times. Butler was seen wearing a protective knee sleeve post-game and will have more testing done Thursday. The Heat will play in a win-or-go-home matchup Friday night, giving Butler very little time to heal. We should know more about the severity of the injury once the MRI results come back.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Scores 14 with seven dimes Friday
Rotowire
Butler finished Friday's 125-103 win over Toronto with 14 points (5-7 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 2-4 FT), three rebounds and seven assists in 29 minutes.
Over the last few weeks, Butler hasn't been able to fill the stat sheet and deliver the elite scoring numbers fantasy managers have become accustomed to him producing, but he continues to be a valuable asset due to his all-around contributions. Butler has failed to reach the 20-point mark in five of his last nine appearances, but he's still averaging 18.0 points, 5.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game in that stretch.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Sniffs triple-double Tuesday
Rotowire
Butler registered 25 points (7-14 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 10-13 FT), eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals over 44 minutes during Tuesday's 117-111 double-overtime victory over the Hawks.
Butler scored at least 20 points for the fourth consecutive contest and filled the stat sheet admirably, ending just one assist and two rebounds away from a triple-double. Butler was going through a semi-drought in terms of scoring, failing to reach the 20-point mark in five straight contests between March 22 and April 2, but he seems to have bounced back ahead of the playoffs.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Perfect from line as top scorer
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Butler had 27 points (7-16 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 12-12 FT), seven rebounds, eight assists and one steal across 39 minutes during Sunday's 117-115 loss to Indiana.
Butler led all players in Sunday's contest in scoring while ending perfect from the free-throw line to go along with a team-high assist total. He also finished second on the team in rebounds in an all-around showcase. Butler has connected on 12 or more free throws in three games this season, and he's now surpassed the 25-point mark in 16 outings. He has posted at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in five contests.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Perfect from charity stripe
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Butler amassed 22 points (6-14 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 8-8 FT), three rebounds, three assists and one steal in 29 minutes during Friday's 119-104 win over the Rockets.
Butler has now recorded back-to-back games with at least 20 points. The star forward has been very efficient from the free-throw line lately, converting 91.8 percent of his 6.1 free-throw attempts per contest over his last 10 outings. Miami will need Butler to continue his aggressive scoring in order to avoid the Play-In Tournament.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Boosts offensively in 20-point game
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Butler tallied 20 points (7-17 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 5-5 FT), five assists and four rebounds over 40 minutes in Thursday's 109-105 loss to Philadelphia.
Butler ended up taking the court Thursday after missing shootaround due to personal reasons, going on to hand out a team-high handful of assists while ending perfect from the charity stripe and finishing as one of two Heat players with 20 or more points in a losing effort. Butler reached the 20-point mark for the first time in his last six appearances, and he's now posted at least five assists in seven straight outings.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Officially cleared to play
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Butler (personal) is available for Thursday's game against the 76ers, Tim Reynolds of Associated Press reports.
Butler missed Thursday's morning shootaround due to personal reasons, but he was considered probable for the team's matchup against the 76ers. He's averaged 14.0 points, 6.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 33.0 minutes per game over his last three appearances, and it seems unlikely that he'll face limitations Thursday.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Expected to play Thursday
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Butler was absent from shootaround but is listed as probable for Thursday's game versus the 76ers due to personal reasons, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
Despite being absent from shootaround, Butler is expected to play in his fourth straight contest Thursday. The star forward has seen his production decrease as of late, averaging 14.8 points, 5.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds in 31.8 minutes across his last five appearances.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Gets green light
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Butler (illness) is available for Friday's game against the Trail Blazers.
As expected, Butler has been upgraded from probable to available and will suit up following a one-game absence due to an illness. Over his last three appearances, Butler has averaged 20.7 points, 5.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 32.3 minutes per game.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Expected to play against Portland
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Butler (illness) is probable for Friday's game versus the Trail Blazers, Tim Reynolds of Associated Press reports.
Butler is expected to return to action Friday after missing Miami's previous contest with a non-COVID illness. If he's upgraded to available, the star forward will likely reclaim his starting spot from Jaime Jaquez (ankle).
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Limited at practice Thursday
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Butler (illness) was a limited participant during Thursday's practice, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
Butler was sidelined for Tuesday's loss to the Warriors due to an illness but is trending in the right direction ahead of Friday's matchup versus Portland. Miami will release its official injury report Thursday afternoon.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Downgraded to questionable
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Butler (illness) is now considered questionable for Tuesday's game against Golden State, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
Butler being downgraded from probable to questionable puts his status in serious jeopardy, especially considering he didn't attend the team's morning shootaround. Jaime Jaquez (knee) and Caleb Martin (ankle) are also questionable for a Miami rotation in flux.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Probable for Tuesday's game
Rotowire
Butler didn't participate in Tuesday's morning shootaround due to a non-COVID illness but is probable for Miami's matchup against Golden State on Tuesday, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
While Butler was added to Miami's injury report a few hours before tipoff, it appears likely that he'll be able to suit up despite his illness. Over his last three appearances, he's averaged 20.7 points, 5.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 32.3 minutes per game.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Scores 15 points in win
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Butler had 15 points (3-6 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 8-9 FT), three rebounds, six assists and one steal over 24 minutes during Sunday's 121-84 win over the Cavaliers.
Butler only attempted six shots from the field -- his second-lowest mark of the season -- but still posted a decent stat line considering he only logged 24 minutes in a blowout win. Butler remains a key figure for the Heat, but his numbers are down from last season in almost every major category except three-point shooting percentage. He's still averaging 21.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game, however.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Scores 30 points vs. Cleveland
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Butler posted 30 points (11-19 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 6-7 FT), four rebounds, five assists and four steals over 37 minutes in Wednesday's 107-104 win over the Cavaliers.
Butler missed the last two games due to a foot issue, but he was able to suit up Wednesday to lead the Heat in scoring. It marked the seventh time this season Butler has scored 30-plus points in a game, with the last instance before Wednesday taking place March 2 against the Jazz. Since the All-Star break, Butler is averaging 22.3 points on 50.9 percent shooting, 5.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.8 steals over 35.3 minutes per game.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Good to go Wednesday
Rotowire
Butler (foot) is available for Wednesday's game versus the Cavaliers, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
Butler has been upgraded from questionable to available after missing Miami's last two contests with a right foot contusion. The star forward is averaging 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals in 35.1 minutes across his previous 10 appearances. However, with Bam Adebayo (back) out, Butler could take on an increased offensive workload.
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Heat's Jimmy Butler: Goes through shootaround
Rotowire
Butler (foot) was spotted getting shots up at Wednesday's morning shootaround, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
Butler has been sidelined for the past two games, and he's currently listed as questionable for Wednesday. His availability at the shootaround is a good sign that he's trending in the right direction, but if Butler is unable to suit up, the Heat could rely heavily on Jaime Jaquez and Caleb Martin.
