Getty Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat.
Jimmy Butler wasn’t able to suit up for the Miami Heat‘s 111-105 Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday, May 2. Butler was sidelined with an injured right ankle that he suffered in Sunday’s Game 1. However, he was sure to make his presence felt while on the bench.
As he walked off of the floor, following the final buzzer, he was sure to flip the bird to the Knicks faithful at Madison Square Garden.
Jimmy Butler is big mad that he lost 😂
Butler was listed as questionable to play in Tuesday’s matchup, before he was eventually ruled out. Head coach Erik Spoelstra had told reporters that the star wing was being treated “around the clock.”
“He’s doing treatment around the clock,” Spoelstra said via ESPN’s Andrew Lopez. “Probably won’t have any update until before the game.”
Will Jimmy Butler Play in Heat-Knicks Game 3?
Heat fans got quite the scare when the 33-year-old went down in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s matinee. Luckily for them, he fought through and played the remainder of the game.
Jimmy Butler is down after rolling his ankle on this play
“No idea,” Spoelstra said of Butler’s status following the Game 1 win, via Bally Sports Sun. “You just don’t know with ankle sprains. I don’t even know if we’ll know more by tomorrow. We’ll just have to see — it’ll be a waiting game. But he did not want to come out of the game so we left him in there.”
With the series having a three-day break between Game 2 and Saturday’s Game 3 in Miami, it’s tough to imagine that Butler will sit out again. There’s been no updates on his injury as of Wednesday, but his fiery message to the New York crowd has to somewhat indicate that he’ll be back, right?
Butler has been a force for the Heat in these playoffs. He’s taken over games, put on monster performances, and carried Miami so far, averaging 35.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists through the first six games. He’s been efficient in his scoring too, knocking down 58.5% of his attempts from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc.
Jimmy Butler’s Fight Inspired Heat Teammates, Says Erik Spoelstra
Spoelstra mentioned that Butler’s decision to play through the injury at the end of Game 1 was inspiring to his Heat teammates.
“This group has been through a lot… and we’re not being insensitive to when guys get nicked up or get hurt, but our group has learned to compartmentalize and focus on the task at hand…” Spoelstra told reporters on Sunday afternoon. “We’ve had probably more practice than anybody else in having to step up when guys get hurt, but that certainly is inspiring that he would not come out of the game and to be able to finish the game. Just infused a bunch of confidence to the rest of the guys that we have to finish this off.”
It appears that the inspiration carried over into Tuesday’s meeting too. Without their star man, Miami battled. They entered the fourth quarter with a two-point lead over the home team, and competed until the final whistle.
Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent lead the way, combining to score 43 of Miami’s 105 points. The way that Spoelstra continues to get the most out of his players, regardless of who’s out there, is something that should not only strike fear into the hearts of Knicks fans, but also the hearts of fans of the remaining playoff teams.
Despite the Game 2 defeat, these guys don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
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Video Catches Jimmy Butler’s Gesture to Knicks Fans After Heat Drop Game 2 [LOOK]