Heat Coach Explains Unexpected Jimmy Butler Decision vs. Pelicans

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler returned to action on New Year's Day after a five-game absence due to a stomach illness. The six-time All-Star was back on the court to help Miami secure a 119-108 win against the New Orleans Pelicans at Kaseya Center. 

Butler, however, played a significantly reduced role in his return. The five-time All-NBA forward logged just 25 minutes of action in this one, putting up nine points, four rebounds and two assists. 

Butler also ended up sitting out the entire fourth quarter -- a decision that Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra shed light on in his post-game press conference. The two-time NBA champion coach revealed that his decision to bench Butler in the final frame had little to do with the fact that the Heat are back in action on Thursday against the Indiana Pacers. 

“I wasn’t even thinking about it as a back-to-back," Spoelstra told reporters after the game. "I mean, 13 days is a long time away and I just went with the group there in the fourth that was getting us the most and to see if that group could close it out.”