It is April, which means it is time for Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat to once again start their magical run through the NBA playoffs. It seems like every single season, Erik Spoelstra gets the most out of his squad right before the playoffs begin. We are just four days into April, and it appears as if the Heat are catching fire, no pun intended.
The Heat have won seven of their last 10 games, including three straight, entering a key matchup on Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers, whom Miami currently leads by 1.5 games in the Eastern Conference standings. After the Indiana Pacers lost on Wednesday to the Brooklyn Nets, the Heat are now tied with the Pacers for the 6-seed in the conference. Miami currently holds the season tiebreaker over Indiana, but these two teams still have one decisive matchup remaining this season.
Things are coming right down to the wire for the Heat in the regular season, which is why every win matters just a little bit more at this juncture, especially if they are to avoid the play-in tournament and claim an actual playoff spot. However, injuries have been a problem for the Heat all season long, and Butler again finds himself on the injury report ahead of Thursday’s key battle with the Sixers.
To make matters worse, Butler missed shootaround on Thursday due to personal reasons, according to Heat reporter Ira Winderman. How does this impact Butler’s availability for Miami’s game against Philadelphia?
Jimmy Butler injury status vs. 76ers
Butler is one of many players listed on the Heat’s injury report ahead of their contest with the 76ers. Whereas Terry Rozier, Caleb Martin, Duncan Robinson, and Nikola Jovic are all listed as available to play, Butler finds himself listed as probable due to personal reasons, hence his absence from shootaround.
Recently, Butler missed the Heat’s game on March 26 against the Golden State Warriors as a result of an illness. The Heat lost this game 113-92 on their home floor.
Although he missed shootaround on Thursday morning, Butler is expected to play against the 76ers, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
In a total of 53 games this season, Butler has averaged 21.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 49.9 percent from the floor. He is ineligible to win any end-of-season awards or accolades due to the fact that Butler will not cross the 65 games played minimum threshold this season. The most Butler can play in, including Thursday night’s game, is 60 total games.
The Heat have been clicking as of late, and they can pick up their fourth consecutive victory with a win over Philadelphia. This group has not won four or more straight games since the middle of February. Miami had won two games prior to the All-Star break, followed by their first three contests after the break.
Should Butler be forced to miss Thursday’s game for some reason, Caleb Martin, Haywood Highsmith, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. would all see their roles increase.
With a win over the 76ers, the Heat can expand their lead for the 6-seed in the East to a half-game over the Pacers. A loss to Philadelphia pushes Miami back into the play-in region of the standings, and they would be just a half-game in front of the 76ers for the 7-seed in the conference.
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