Jimmy Butler will have had five days off when the Miami Heat faces the New York Knicks for Game 3 of their second-round series on Saturday. A source informed the Miami Herald that unless Butler suffers a setback, he should be ready to return to the lineup by then.
Butler injured his right ankle in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s series-opening victory at Madison Square Garden. He stayed in the game despite being visibly damaged and later watched Miami lose Game 2 from the bench.
Underdog NBA shared a post on Twitter: “Jimmy Butler (ankle) listed questionable for Saturday.”
Jimmy Butler (ankle) listed questionable for Saturday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) May 5, 2023
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra dodged queries regarding Butler’s health on Thursday during practice. Forward Kevin Love noted, via the Miami Herald, that “He’s not limping too much and seems to be getting treatment around the clock.”
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Guard Kyle Lowry added, “As a guy that knows how competitive he is, I would be optimistic. But who knows, honestly?” In the first game, Butler led all scorers with 25 points on 8-for-16 shooting to go along with 11 boards, four assists, and two steals.
Without him, Miami shot 49 threes in Game 2 and mainly used zone defense. The Heat will look different if he can play in Game 3.
