Jimmy Butler’s Injury vs. Sixers Will Have Major Impact on Miami Heat

After falling short to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Miami Heat will roll without Jimmy Butler.

In a tough battle between two Eastern Conference rivals on Wednesday night, former Philadelphia 76ers veteran Jimmy Butler went down with a suspected knee injury in the first half of the battle for the seventh seed.

To no surprise, Butler powered through the setback and managed to wrap up Wednesday’s game with a full shift despite being less than one-hundred percent health-wise.

A 19-point showing for Butler was not enough to will the Heat past the Sixers, who collected a one-point win to clinch their spot in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Unfortunately, this week went from bad to worse for Miami, as they found out that Butler will miss time moving forward.

On Wednesday, it was revealed Butler would undergo an MRI on Thursday to potentially confirm the Heat’s suspicion that Butler might’ve suffered an MCL injury. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the team now knows Butler is dealing with an MCL sprain, which will likely prevent him from playing again this week.

On Friday, the Heat have one more opportunity to crack a spot in the playoffs. With a win against the Chicago Bulls, the Heat could clinch the East’s eighth seed for the second season in a row. A loss would send them home for the summer.

Typically, a do-or-die scenario is where Butler shines. Unfortunately, the injured he suffered against the Sixers will prevent him from leading the way for a Miami team that would like to put together another special run in the postseason.

In 60 games this season, Butler averaged 21 points, five rebounds, and five assists. He drained 50 percent of his field goals, and averaged 41 percent from deep.

On a slightly brighter note for Miami, the Heat have a winning record in Butler’s absence this year, winning 13 of their 22 games without the veteran forward. It’s unclear if Butler could return anytime soon if Miami does advance, but the absence of the six-time All-Star doesn’t necessarily eliminate the Heat’s odds of cracking the postseason this week.