Jimmy Butler is dealing with an MCL sprain he suffered when facing the Philadelphia 76ers in the play-in tournament on April 17. The Heat began their playoff run without Butler in their rotation, losing 114-94 to the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
According to Shams Charania, who was speaking via FanDuel TV’s ‘Run it Back,’ Butler is expected to miss the entirety of Miami’s series against the Celtics.
“He is not gonna be back in this series,” Charania said. “This is a rehab that’s gonna go at least one month. It’s seriously remarkable to me that he played three quarters on this injury.
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Without Butler, the Heat’s chances of beating the Celtics are slim to none. Erik Spoelstra’s team doesn’t have the on-ball creation, elite-level scoring or defensive versatility to consistently hang with one of the best teams in the NBA. Butler’s presence would have gone some way to evening the playing field. However, Miami was always going to be swimming up stream when facing the team they eliminated from the playoffs in Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.
Butler isn’t the Heat’s only injury concern, either. They’re also missing Terry Rozier (neck) and Josh Richardson (shoulder) ,which puts significant pressure on Tyler Herro as the lone on-ball creator within the rotation.
Miami’s season isn’t quite over, but it’s certainly hanging by a thread. Butler’s absence is a hammer blow. Now, all eyes will be on Boston to see how easily it navigate its current situation and whether it can remain focused against a seriously weakened opponent. If the Celtics can stay locked in, they could be looking at a series sweep or at least a gentleman’s sweep.
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