Jimmy Butler exited Friday's game between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets. The Heat star suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter that ruled him out for the game. Butler slipped on a drive to the basket, which caused the injury. He looked in discomfort with his right leg and left the game shortly. The Heat announced roughly within 10 minutes that their star forward was done for the night.
Here's how Butler' injury happened:
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The Heat trailed 40-27 at the end of the first quarter. Butler played only six minutes in the 2023 NBA Finals rematch, tallying two points, two assists and one rebound. He made one of his two shot attempts.
The Heat are already struggling at 3-5. With Butler out, their chances of a revival on this road trip with four games left seem bleak. The Nuggets beat them 135-122 on Friday. Miami kept the pressure up offensively but struggled to contain Denver. Tyler Herro scored 24 points, while Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson had 20 each.
Heat potentially haunted by Jimmy Butler's injury struggles again
The Heat haven't had much luck with injuries in the Jimmy Butler era. Only four players have played at least 75 games. The Heat have been a top-six team only twice with Butler. They have been in the play-in tournament three times. Butler's injury struggles have been the key reason behind their lack of regular-season success.
Miami hoped that would change this year, but it doesn't seem to be the case. The former All-Star has already suffered his first injury of the year after eight games, and Miami dropped to 3-5. The lottery teams in the Eastern Conference, like the Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks, have played much better in that span, threatening Miami's chances of making the postseason.
There's no update available on Jimmy Butler's potential long-term absence, but looking at video replays suggests it could be a multi-game absence for a week or two, depending on the severity of the sprain. Jimmy Butler's health has been pivotal for the Heat in recent years.
Their deepest playoff runs have come with the star player healthy. That included Butler leading the 2023 eight-seeded Miami to the finals. The Heat will hope that his latest setback doesn't turn into a long-term issue.
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