Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler will be sidelined for the foreseeable future after picking up an ankle injury in their loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday, January 3. On Tuesday, January 4, the team announced that Butler would miss the Heat's game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, January 5. The Miami Heat provided no other updates regarding Butler's condition.
Butler sprains ankle in loss to Golden State
Butler got injured during the second half of the Heat's 115-108 loss to Golden State at Chase Center. Butler suffered the ankle sprain when he went to plant his right foot while making his way towards the basket. Unfortunately for Butler, he lost his footing and turned his ankle, with the Heat star immediately crashing to the floor in pain. The play was stopped as players and team staff checked on Butler with 3 minutes and 14 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Miami burned a timeout to give more time to Butler's treatment. He could not put any weight on the injured ankle as he was helped off the floor by two of his Heat teammates. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra issued a statement regarding Butler's injury after the game, saying he turned it and that they will evaluate his ankle and see how he feels.
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A sprained ankle is the latest injury setback for Butler this season
Spoelstra said that if they talk to Butler right now, he will say he is fine, but that remains to be seen. Butler has been unlucky with the injury bug this season, with the Heat star already missing 15 games this campaign because of various injuries.
Butler injured that same right ankle earlier this season, forcing him to miss three games back in November. He turned that right ankle again on December 28 when the Heat faced the Washington Wizards. Butler was ruled out the following day against the San Antonio Spurs in a game that was eventually postponed.
Apart from his ankle, Butler has also encountered trouble with his tail bone this season. He missed four NBA games from November 29 to December 4 because of a tail bone injury. Butler returned for the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on December 6, but he reinjured his tailbone in a 105-90 loss.
That forced a longer hiatus for Butler, who was sidelined for eight consecutive games in December. He made his much-anticipated return against the Orlando Magic, notching a double-double in a 93-83 victory. Butler's return was timely, with Kyle Lowry placed on the league's health and safety protocols at that time.
Butler was starting to get his groove back, and he showed his basketball prowess in the game against the Warriors. He scored 22 points and grabbed five rebounds before injuring his right ankle against Golden State.
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