Reports: Heat guard Jimmy Butler out several weeks

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Miami Warmth guard Jimmy Butler is anticipated to overlook a number of weeks on account of harm, per a number of studies.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Shams Charania report Butler will likely be out after struggling a proper MCL harm within the first half of the Warmth’s 105-104 SoFi Play-In Match loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.

The expectation is Miami’s Jimmy Butler will likely be out a number of weeks, sources mentioned. Butler remarkably performed the ultimate three quarters vs. 76ers final evening with what’s now feared to be an MCL harm. https://t.co/dEDMAuuXuN

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 18, 2024

 

The Warmth will host the Chicago Bulls on Friday evening (7 ET, ESPN), with the winner of that recreation getting the Japanese Convention’s No. 8 seed.

The way it occurred: Butler was harm late within the first quarter when he tried to faux out Kelly Oubre Jr. on a bucket, solely to have his knee buckle and he fell to the court docket. Oubre appeared to land on the Warmth star, who led the franchise to the NBA Finals in 2023.

“I fell, he landed and my knee simply didn’t do properly, I suppose,” Butler mentioned. “I don’t know. It’s not a great feeling, I can inform you that.”

Butler sank the free throw, exhaled and missed the second. He remained within the recreation and scored 19 factors, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient in Philadelphia’s 105-104 win on Wednesday evening.

“We simply must get one after which we’ll fear concerning the subsequent one,” Butler mentioned.

“It felt like I couldn’t do an excessive amount of, which sucks with the timing of the sport and every part,” Butler mentioned. “I hope that I’m superb. I hope that I get up tomorrow and might nonetheless stick-and-move. Proper now, I can’t keep that’s the case.”

Butler was 5 of 18 from the ground total however scored simply two factors within the fourth, when the Warmth collapsed within the quarter.

“It simply wasn’t the case,” he mentioned. “I wasn’t capable of do something on both aspect of the ball. I believe I harm us greater than I helped us really.”

Affect on Warmth: Butler, a former Sixer, scored 20.8 factors in 60 video games for the Warmth. The 34-year-old Butler mentioned he stayed within the recreation as a result of he thought the “adrenaline would relax in” and he would really feel wholesome sufficient to play at his ordinary degree.

Butler’s absence will place a higher scoring burden on a number of gamers, together with All-Star huge man Bam Adebayo and versatile swingman Tyler Herro, amongst others. Adebayo completed with 10 factors and 12 rebounds and took 9 pictures vs. the 76ers. Herro took a team-leading 27 pictures and completed with 25 factors, however shot simply 33.3% and 28.6% on 3-pointers within the loss.

Final season, Miami captured the No. 8 seed through the Play-In Match and parlayed that to a stunning run to the NBA Finals. Nevertheless, Butler was obtainable for all however one recreation of that playoff run (whereas Herro missed it in its entirety) and supplied a number of memorable performances. Miami will now need to clinch the No. 8 seed and create a playoff run with out him, each of that are a tall order.

Info from The Related Press was used on this report.