Why isn’t Jimmy Butler playing today against the Celtics in game 4 of the first round?
After missing the Miami Heat’s last three games, Butler will once again be sidelined against Boston in the NBA Playoffs.
The Miami Heat qualified for the 2024 NBA Playoffs as No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, leaving them with the daunting task of facing the Celtics, 64-18 in the regular season, in the first round. However, Erik Spoelstra’s team have acquitted themselves well in the first two games of the series, following up a 114-94 defeat with a 111-101 victory, despite the absences of key players Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier.
They lost Game 3 on Saturday (27 April) 84-104, but their hopes of getting past the Celtics are still well and truly alive.
Why isn’t Butler playing for the Heat against the Celtics?
Butler was hugely important in the Heat’s unexpected run to the NBA Finals last year, but will be absent for several weeks due to an MCL injury sustained in the No. 7 vs. No. 8 Eastern Conference Play-In matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on 18 April.
This ~10-second clip of Spo/Zo/Pat’s reactions to Jimmy Butler’s injury is going to give me nightmares forever.#HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/Y4V9ZP3JJ7
— Matt Hanifan (@mph_824_) April 18, 2024
Butler sustained the injury during the first quarter of Miami’s closely contested 105-104 loss but remarkably remained in the game and concluded with an impressive stat line of 19 points, five assists, and five steals, albeit shooting 5-for-18 from the field.
How did Butler get injured?
Sixers shooting guard Kelly Oubre Jr. inadvertently landed on Butler after a pump fake near the basket. The immediate reaction from teammates and coaches indicated the seriousness of the situation and the 34-year-old was visibly seen limping to the locker room at the conclusion of the quarter, making his return to the court all the more surprising.
Jimmy Butler was in pain with an apparent leg injury but stayed in the game 🙏 pic.twitter.com/WEEFxIowU0
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 17, 2024
The severity of Butler’s injury is a major cause for concern for the Heat, particularly considering his average of 20.8 points per game during the regular season.
The most recent updates suggest the small forward will miss the entire first-round series against Boston, which will run through to Sunday 5 May if it goes to Game 7.
Injury reports on Saturday have confirmed that shooting guards Rozier and Josh Richardson will also sit out Game 3 against the Celtics, while Delon Wright is rated questionable for “personal reasons”.
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