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The Miami Heat continue to be a feisty No. 8 seed in the 2023 NBA playoffs, grabbing a 1-0 lead over the New York Knicks in the second round and looking to go up 2-0 Tuesday. The driving force behind Miami’s success is forward Jimmy Butler, but he turned his ankle late in Game 1. While Butler played through the injury, he did appear to be more limited and wasn’t as aggressive offensively. Here’s the latest on his status for Game 2.
Jimmy Butler injury updates
6 p.m. ET update: Butler has officially been ruled out, and the Heat are likely doing this because they won Game 1. The star forward will have some extra time to recover with Game 3 set to take place Saturday afternoon in Miami.
Noon ET update: Butler is being labeled a game-time decision, but he did participate in the shootaround and did gut out the injury at the end of Game 1. It feels like he’s trending closer towards playing but ultimately it’ll be up to him and the training staff to determine how much more stress the ankle can take.
Butler is officially listed as questionable, which honestly doesn’t mean much given how the Heat have managed the injury report. The forward was able to stay on the court in Game 1 and has presumably gotten treatment over the last few days, which makes it likely he’ll play. The Heat really can’t afford any more injuries, with Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo already out for the season.
If Butler is unable to suit up, look for Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo to see more usage offensively. Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin would also be in line for extended minutes and opportunities if Butler sits.