Nobody can control Jimmy Butler when he is hot. That is the sort of notion he has built around since day one of signing with the Miami Heat. Since 2019, he has been on the hunt for a title shot. Unfortunately, his first season happened to be the first and only time he got a taste of it. The Los Angeles Lakers upset Miami in the finals winning in six games.
Since then, Miami’s journey to the top has been bumpy. Last year, they topped the Eastern Conference charts and pushed to the Eastern Conference Finals. Ultimately, the Boston Celtics would close out the series and the Heat were once again back to square one. After a very underwhelming season this year, Jimmy Butler led the Heat past the No.1 seed in the NBA, Milwaukee Bucks.
Jimmy Butler gets diagnosed with an ankle sprain
After an impressive two-game stretch against the Bucks, Butler and his squad were paired against the New York Knicks. Jimmy came off a massive 56 points game as well. In Game 1, the Heat were able to secure a victory 108-101. Butler once again had a great game finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists. Unfortunately, five minutes before the game could end, he rolled his ankle on a drive to the basketball.
Jimmy Butler has an inversion ankle sprain. The biggest question is how severe and can he play through next game
pic.twitter.com/gzUA6ZBfuK— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) April 30, 2023
The All-Star would power it through those final minutes and helped the Heat take the victory. However, playing through those final moments could have aggravated the injury more. The Heat ruled Butler out for Game 2 at the Madison Square Garden. Butler’s absence was certainly a big blow to the gut for the Heat. The Knicks on the other hand enjoyed it and took advantage of his absence.
Not Jimmy Butler On His Scripted Ankle Injury In Heat at Knicks Game 1 At Madison Square Garden, The #NBAPlayoffs Is Rigged #sundayvibes Damn Jimmy Hope Jimmy Curry Kevin Love RJ Barrett Josh Hart Erik Spoelstra Kyle Lowry K Love pic.twitter.com/JYFLg0eZAO
— The Red Pills And Rabbit Holes (@BigRedPill_007) April 30, 2023
New York leaped forward offensively closing out the game at 111-105. Jimmy is a major asset on the offensive end which balances out the defender’s roles on the team. To add insult to injury, even Tyler Herro is currently out with a broken hand. The Heat has no help offensively.
Right now, there are no updates on whether he will participate in Game 3. However, if he is well-rested and able to play without feeling pain, the dynamic of the series could take a massive 180-degree turn. There are now five games left in the series and the first to three wins it all. Without him, the Heat has no hope of getting past the Knicks.