SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 02: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat dribbling the ball drives towards the basket on Buddy Hield #24 of the Sacramento Kings during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center on January 02, 2022 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
There’s plenty of concern for the Miami Heat right now, as star player Jimmy Butler suffered an ankle injury on Monday night.
Things were going smoothly for Miami Heat standout Jimmy Butler on Monday night, as he was putting on a show against the Golden State Warriors. Butler was drilling field goals from all over the hardwood.
Then late in the third quarter, Butler went down with an ankle injury and was in a concerning amount of pain. He of course wasn’t able to return to the hardwood and now it’s up in the air when he’ll be able to return.
Jimmy Butler’s ankle injury has Miami Heat fans incredible worried
Obviously, this is not good for the Heat. Butler was in so much pain, he couldn’t even limp off the floor and he had to be helped back to the locker room. As you can see in the video above, Butler’s face tells you that this could be an injury that sidelines him for a little while.
Head coach Eric Spoelstra said Butler will be re-evaluated on Tuesday and then the team will have a better idea of how much time he won’t be able to make shots for Miami. It goes without saying, but the Heat are a totally different squad without Butler in action.
He’s one of the best players in the league. Before going down with his injury, Butler had posted 22 points and five rebounds in only 28 minutes of play. On the year, Butler is scoring more than 23 points a game.
With Butler playing so well, Miami is 23-15 on the year and in fourth place of the Eastern Conference standings. In order for this team to go on a deep postseason run, they’ll need Butler to be at 100 percent, no doubt about that.