All 76ers

Miami Heat Star Chirps at Sixers’ Kelly Oubre After Play-In

Miami Heat forward had a message for Philadelphia 76ers veteran, Kelly Oubre.
Apr 4, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA;  Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) picks up a loose
Apr 4, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) picks up a loose | Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat find themselves in a tough position as they approach their Friday night matchup against the Chicago Bulls. During the battle for the seventh seed between the Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers, the visitors held their breath as the star forward Jimmy Butler went down with an injury for a brief moment.

In the first half of the NBA Play-In battle, Butler attacked the basket with Sixers forward Kelly Oubre looking to make a play on the ball. There was a common foul on the play, which unfortunately, led to Butler getting injured in the process.

Butler was down for a bit, but managed to stay in the game. Surprisingly, he spent nearly 40 minutes on the court, scoring 19 points. After the game, Butler was spotted leaving the Wells Fargo Center with a noticeable limp. At that point, it was apparent he would get an MRI the following day.

The Heat reportedly feared that Butler suffered an MCL injury. That turned out to be the case, as he was diagnosed with an MCL sprain, according to the Heat. When Miami announced that Butler would be ruled out of Friday’s final NBA Play-In game between the Heat and the Bulls, Butler commented on an Instagram post, calling out Oubre.

“We throwing hands,” Butler said, tagging the Sixers veteran.

Of course, Sixers fans know Butler well enough to assume he’s simply trolling Oubre. Still, the Heat veteran is known to use situations as bulletin board material for the future, holding grudges for motivation on the court.

The Heat hope to craft another miraculous run in the playoffs after dropping their first Play-In matchup in 2024. Unfortunately, they won’t have Butler for the battle for the eighth seed.


Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

Share on XFollow @JGrasso_