Jimmy Butler will not participate in any Miami Heat games during the Boston Celtics series; this is applicable to the Eastern Conference playoffs’ first round.
Journalist Shams Charania of The Athletic claims that once the player’s knee ligament injury was assessed by the medical team, it was determined to be “severe”.
It follows that Butler will require several weeks off and won’t be back in time for any potential Game 7, which is slated for May 5 if needed.
Jimmy was not present for the Heat’s opening game on Sunday, April 21. The team fell by a score of 20 points in Boston’s TD Garden, and they are now down in the series.
Jimmy Butler: what happened to him?
The Miami Heat faced the Boston Celtics in the play-in round of the playoffs after finishing in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Florida team in the opening round of the playoffs on Wednesday, March 17, following Butler’s knee injury.
Jimmy fell during a shooting play in the second quarter following a foul called by Kelly Oubre Jr. As soon as he hit the ground, the athlete started to cry out in agony and dropped to his hands.
Jimmy Butler acknowledged this and asked to play on after getting up and moving around a little, but he no longer took the chance of making physical contact or jumping on pitches.
jimmy butler in pain after drawing the foul pic.twitter.com/fhxOnnjl9Y
— ◇ (@d9Hoops) April 17, 2024Following imaging testing the following day, it was discovered that the athlete had a tear in the knee’s medial collateral ligament.
Jimmy missed Miami’s game against the Chicago Bulls in the play-in round in addition to Game 1 against the Celtics. The Heat prevailed and advanced to the NBA postseason in spite of the absence.
What’s Jimmy Butler’s absence?
Butler did not play in Game 1 versus the Celtics, and it does not appear likely that he will be back for the first-round series.
“I find it unbelievable that Jimmy Butler managed to play for three quarters despite what appears to be a serious MCL sprain. He won’t be returning for this series, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Monday.
“This treatment program will last for at least a month. Rehab could take two months.”
Having played in just 60 games this season, the forward has a history of ailments throughout his NBA career. In his 14-year career, Butler has only played in more than 70 games twice; the most recent occurrence was during the 2016–17 Bulls season.
Butler has always been a constant in the starting lineup come playoff time, deserving him the moniker “Playoff Jimmy” for his extraordinary efforts despite this fact. Since joining the Heat in the fourth postseason after moving to South Beach, he has averaged 24.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 38.5 minutes per game during the playoffs.
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