An MRI on the shoulder of Heat swingman Jimmy Butler came back clean, but there is no guarantee he will play in Miami’s upcoming three-game road trip before the All-Star break, tweets Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.
The All-Star wing has been a revelation for the new-look Heat, leading the charge to the team’s robust 34-17 record. He is averaging 20.5 PPG and career highs of 6.8 RPG and 6.3 APG in 34.5 MPG for the Heat. Butler has been meriting MVP consideration with his efforts, according to NBA.com’s Sekou Smith.
The Heat face a fairly easy road game schedule, playing two teams with sub-.500 records: the 24-29 Trail Blazers tomorrow and the 12-40 Warriors on Monday. Miami will wrap up its road trip in Utah Wednesday against the 33-18 Jazz, who are 19-5 at home. The Heat will not play again until the 20th.
Alex Kirschenbaum contributed to this article.
Curious as to how that effects his All Star game? Does he play or does he not play??
The injury is not very serious so it will likely be up to him… I would not be surprised to see him sit the game out though tbh and come back fresh for the second half of the season.
Was sounding like extended down time was likely. Maybe Butler sits the All Star game and gives his spot to Beal. That would cause some added chatter.
Butler love to be selected for the All-Star but not so much to play it, I mean he has missed 2, 1 of them asking not to play, so probably this will be his 3rd miss… oh well, in the bright side this will open the spot that Beal deserved to have.
Of course…at least it’s not worse, but it’s unbelievable what the Heats injury luck has been the last 6 years
Fairly easy? Warriors sure but perhaps somebody hasn’t been watching Damian Lillard lately. He’s been averaging over 40 a game (efficiently) for the last week plus. Got screwed in the last game against the Jazz. That was an obvious goaltend that would have taken that game into OT.
Goaltends are hard to see in live action and don’t even get video-reviewed right; Slow-motion is usless as it often is. It should be determined by device, looking at the arc.
This one was super egregious