Jimmy Butler made an admirable effort to overcome the injury in what ended in a 105-104 loss for the Miami Heat in their showdown against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 7th Place Play-In Tournament contest.
Butler grimaced and held his right knee immediately after falling to the floor following a foul by Kelly Oubre Jr. in the first quarter, but he continued to play for 40 minutes, finishing with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Now Shams Charania of The Athletic has reported that Butler’s injury may be more serious than initially thought. According to Charania, he will “fears that Jimmy Butler has a knee injury.” and that “the injury could sideline Butler indefinitely.”. However, the Heat star has yet to undergo an MRI, so there is nothing official yet about his health status.
Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is feared to have an MCL injury in his knee, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The injury could sideline Butler for an indefinite period. MRI to come. pic.twitter.com/jD8n1WkkBT
– Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 18, 2024
The Heat are now hoping against hope that Butler has suffered only a contusion or minor knee injury that will not keep him out for the foreseeable future. And that he will be able to play the next game for the 8th-straight game.
Let’s see if we get any new news on this in the next few hours. The fact remains that the Miami Heat with or without Jimmy Butler are two different teams. Without the former Chicago Minnesota, the Florida franchise would struggle to beat anyone this season, even the Detroit Pistons or the Washington Wizards. That is why they are crossing their fingers hard in Miami, hoping for positive outcomes from the MRI. We will update you as soon as we know something more concrete about it!
Read also: New Orleans Pelicans, what a bang: Zion Williamson out for second play-in.
