Will Jimmy Butler play in Game 4 against the Celtics?
The Miami Heat narrowly managed a victory in Game 3 against the Boston Celtics after star forward Jimmy Butler exited the game with a knee injury.
Miami Heat looked set to blow a 26-point lead in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, after its star player Jimmy Butler was ruled out of the second half due to inflammation on his right knee.
Miami Heat step up
But they fought off Boston’s rally on the backs of Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry to win 109-103 and lead the series 2-1.
One concern after the game was the state of Butler’s knee and his capacity to return to play for the rest of the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami has listed him as questionable for Game 4, but according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports, the Heat’s best player fully intends to play with the team on Monday.
Jimmy Butler: Critical to Miami’s victories
The six-time All-Star has been instrumental in the Heat’s success in the regular season, where they ended up as the number one seed in the East. His performance at the playoffs has been even more impressive, as he has delivered an average of 28.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.
Before leaving after the first half of Game 3, Butler tallied eight points, three rebounds, and two assists.
Also on the Heat’s injury list are Kyle Lowry (hamstring), Tyler Herro (groin), Max Strus (hamstring), P.J. Tucker (knee), and Gabe Vincent (hamstring). They have all been listed as questionable.
The Heat will head to Boston to play the Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday, May 23. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT at TD Garden in Boston.