Jimmy Butler's injury update: Miami's superstar is feared to have suffered an MCL injury

Thursday, 18 April 2024 at 22:11

Jimmy Butler, suffered an apparent knee injury after Kelly Oubre fell on his leg early in the play-in duel between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat. The 34-year-old forward was able to finish the game although he was visibly in pain and limping.

The unfortunate incident occurred a few minutes after the game started, when Jimmy faked a shot and Oubre jumped for the block and ended up falling right on Butler's leg. At first, Butler looked like he was in a lot of pain, but after a few minutes he seemed to be recovered. However, he was visibly affected by it as he wasn't the same for the rest of the game.

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Philadelphia made a huge comeback and ended up winning the game, sending Miami to a deathmatch battle against the winner of the clash between the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks.

"He's putting himself out there, I really appreciate him for that competitive spirit. It really stiffened up (the knee) on him in the second half...He was able to still move a little bit in that second quarter after it. But as the second half went on, it started to limit him a little bit more. We'll see, we have now idea right now, we'll se it when we get back to Miami," said Heat's head coach Erik Spoelstra in the press conference after the game.

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Losing Jimmy could be fatal for Miami's intentions to enter the playoffs. Butler played 60 games this season, averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5 assists. Throughout all his career, Jimmy's numbers elevate when the playoffs start, being a pivotal piece for his team. Butler will undergo an MRI and if the injury is confirmed he's expected to be out for an indefinite period of time.