Jimmy Butler fell hard on the ground and so did the hopes of Miami Heat fans of going through the playoffs this season. According to Shams Charania, Butler has suffered an MCL injury and that will keep him out of the game for an indefinite period.
Butler suffered an injury in the first quarter between the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers in the play-in game. The former 76ers star went for a layup but had a hard fall and was seen in a lot of pain.
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When is the MRI scan?
Butler is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday to assess the extent of his injury. Although the exact nature of the injury is unknown, it could very easily sideline him permanently, which would prevent him from playing in Friday's win-or-go-home game against the Chicago Bulls and possibly from playing in any of the playoff games if Miami reaches the playoffs.
Despite falling, he continued to play the entire game, finishing with 40 minutes and 19 points in the defeat. As the game progressed, Butler's knee "started to limit him a little more," according to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.
Butler is a team player and puts everything on the line when he is on the court. However, playing with an injury for almost 30 minutes might have aggravated the injury further which can result in a longer period on the sidelines for the superstar.
Narrow loss for the Heat against the 76ers
Butler who is averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and five assists per game this season, was nowhere near his best after the injury. He struggled with efficiency and shot just 5-of-18 from the field Wednesday.
His teammates provided support but that wasn’t enough as the Heat suffered a one-point loss against the 76ers. Tyler Herro led the Heat with 25 points and nine assists in the loss, and rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 15 points off the bench.
