The Miami Heat have quite the task ahead of them as they face the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2024 Eastern Conference Playoffs.
The 8-seeded Heat was a trendy pick to pull off the massive upset over the top-seed Celtics, but then star Jimmy Butler sustained an injury during last Wednesday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The hope was that he might be able to return in time to help Miami in this series. However, NBA insider Shams Charania is reporting that not only is Butler out for the series, but the Heat probably wouldn’t be able to get him back on the court for a month.
“It’s crazy to me that Jimmy Butler played three quarters with what I’m hearing now was a severe MCL sprain,” Charania said. “He is not going to be back in this series. This is a rehab that’s going to go at least one month, could be two months of rehab. This is something that Jimmy Butler is going to have to work on.”
"It's crazy to me that Jimmy Butler played 3 quarters with what I'm hearing now was a severe MCL sprain. He is not going to be back in this series."@ShamsCharania updates on Jimmy Butler #HEATCulture #NBAPlayoffs
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— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 22, 2024
“It’s seriously remarkable to me that he played for three quarters on this injury,” Charania said. “They identified it essentially in the 12 hours after the game. They knew what he suffered. Thankfully, it wasn’t the ACL. It wasn’t a meniscus. Even if the Heat were to advance in the first round, somehow, his postseason availability is still very much in the air.”
The Celtics are breathing a sign of relief that they won’t have to deal with Butler this time around.
