Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat will be taking on the Indiana Pacers tonight. Fans will be aware that the Heat are coming off a trip to the NBA Finals last season. Since the bar has been set quite high for Butler and Miami, one could argue that they haven’t started off this season too well as they currently hold a record of 11 wins and 8 losses.
Their opponents for tonight will be Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers. Indiana currently holds a record of 9 wins and 8 losses, putting it in the 7th spot behind Miami in the Eastern Conference. Since we are still in the early stages of the season, getting wins here undoubtedly helps teams secure a postseason spot.
As the Heat and Pacers face off looking to do the same, let us take a look at the injury reports and expected starting lineups. A prediction for this game will also be made towards the end.
Jimmy Butler is listed as probable for the Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers game tonight
There is no denying that Jimmy Butler is the face of the Miami Heat and is the main reason for the postseason success that they have seen in recent times. Although Butler tends to take things slow during the regular season, we have seen him take things to the next level come playoff time.
Heat fans might be disappointed to hear that Jimmy does not look perfectly healthy for this game against the Indiana Pacers. According to the reports, he is dealing with an ankle injury and is listed as probable.
Although he is still expected to play, Butler might not be at full strength for this match. In that case, the rest of the Heat’s roster will have to step up to the occasion. That said, here are the injury reports and expected starting lineups for both sides.
Miami Heat injury report
- Bam Adebayo (out)
- Tyler Herro (out)
- RJ Hampton (out)
- Jimmy Butler (probable)
- Dru Smith (out)
Miami Heat expected starting lineup
- Kyle Lowry
- Duncan Robinson
- Haywood Highsmith
- Caleb Martin
- Kevin Love
Indiana Pacers injury report
- Tyrese Haliburton (questionable)
- Jalen Smith (out)
Indiana Pacers expected starting lineup
- Bruce Brown Jr.
- Bennedict Mathurin
- Obi Toppin
- Buddy Hield
- Myles Turner
Although there are several players on the Heat that don’t look healthy for this game, the Pacers will also be missing their best playmaker in Tyrese Haliburton. Be that as it may, here are the predictions for this game.
The Pacers are slightly favored over the Heat tonight
Given that neither side looks completely healthy for this game, it is quite hard to form a prediction. However, we should remember that there are a lot more key players on the Heat expected to miss this game. Miami needed Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler on the court to get a win in their last game against the Pacers.
Since neither one looks completely healthy for their second consecutive matchup, we believe that the Indiana Pacers will take full advantage of their absence and win this game.