Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler Will Miss Christmas Matchup vs. 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat are set to battle it out on Christmas Day for a primetime matchup that could be without multiple stars from both sides.

Heading into the game, the Heat had listed their star forward Jimmy Butler as questionable. According to the injury report, Butler is dealing with a left calf strain.

Lately, Butler has missed the last two games for Miami. After checking in for 34 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 18, Butler finished the four-point loss with 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists.

Over the next two games, the Heat collected wins against the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks in the absence of Butler, who’s been nursing his lower-leg strain.

Although he was initially questionable, Butler won't get the green light to take on the Sixers on Monday. It will mark his seventh absence this season.

In matchups without Butler, the Heat hold a record of 3-3. In the 23 games Butler played this season, he’s averaged 22 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 34 minutes of action on a nightly basis.

The Heat aren’t the only team dealing with setbacks to notable players. On the Sixers’ side, they are guaranteed to give it a go without two starters on Monday. As expected, Nic Batum will miss his third-straight game after suffering a hamstring strain last Monday against the Chicago Bulls.

Then, there’s Joel Embiid, who suffered an ankle injury during the Sixers’ win over the Toronto Raptors last Friday. While Embiid didn’t seem overly concerned about his most recent setback, the Sixers will still miss him in Miami on Monday.