The Miami Heat fell a point short in their play-in game against the Philadelphia 76ers. They may be a player short in their next play-in on Friday.
Jimmy Butler injured his right knee on this play right here
— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) April 17, 2024
Concern would be from the weight of Oubre when he fell on Butler causing possible
-MCL sprain
-Meniscus injury pic.twitter.com/NnGabXb5pa
Jimmy Butler got hurt when Kelly Oubre Jr. landed on him late in the first quarter of Miami's 105-104 loss to Philadelphia.
He wasn't moving well the rest of the game after the injury, shooting 5-for-18 and scoring 19 points, though he did collect five steals. Butler only scored two points in the final quarter as the Heat were outscored 36-30 in the final period.
Butler generally plays through injuries this time of year. He rolled his ankle in the first game of the Heat's second-round series against the New York Knicks last year, missed the next game, then played in every playoff game through the NBA Finals.
Jimmy Butler is down after rolling his ankle on this play pic.twitter.com/VeiDjcF5E2
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) April 30, 2023
The Heat are already missing Terry Rozier, who hasn't played for 10 days due to a neck injury. Duncan Robinson was cleared to play Wednesday after missing time with a back injury, but he ended up sitting out, so his availability is also in doubt.
The Heat made it to the Finals after losing the first play-in game last season, but Butler's injury really ramps up the degree of difficulty for their playoff run this year.
Butler said after the game that he expects to undergo an MRI on Thursday morning, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that it's "feared" that Butler suffered an MCL injury, which would sideline him for an "indefinite period."
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