Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler listed as day-to-day after ankle injury
Miami Heat guard Jimmy Butler will be evaluated Saturday to learn the severity of a sprained ankle he sustained in Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Butler was injured in the fourth quarter while guarding Clippers All-Star Kawhi Leonard. He did not return to the game.
"We'll have to re-evaluate it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "I don't even like commenting after sprained ankles. You have to wait til the next day to see how the guy feels. He's getting treatment already and we'll go from there."
The Heat fell 122-117 to the Clippers. It was just their second loss at home this season. The losses were to the Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers, both among the top teams in the Western Conference.
The Heat led by many as 15 in the first half before being outscored 38-20 in the third quarter. The Clippers gained control courtesy of a 15-0 run.
"It was a really good basketball game, save for a three-and-a-half or four-minute stretch," Spoelstra said. "Our guys did a lot of good things that stretch,if we could've gotten our hands around that and controlled the game at the end of the third quarter. Once it started to go rolling down the hill, we just couldn't stop that momentum."
Butler led the Heat with 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Tyler Herro and Kelly Olynyk each had 19 points while Bam Adebayo added 18. That wasn't enough to offset Leonard's 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. It was his first career triple-double.
The Heat can take solace in they competed despite playing without starting guard Kendrick Nunn and backup Goran Dragic. Nunn was sidelined with Achilles soreness while Dragic was out due to calf pain. Both are expected to be available for Monday's game against the Orlando Magic, the fourth of a five-game homestand.
