The Miami Heat suffered a 105-104 loss in their play-in tournament tilt vs. the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
Fortunately for the former, earning the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference means they’ll have a second chance at punching their ticket to the playoffs.
Miami will host the Chicago Bulls on Friday. However, the expectation is the Heat are without Jimmy Butler.
The star forward injured his knee after an awkward landing following a layup attempt. His night ended early when head coach Erik Spoelstra subbed him out of Wednesday’s loss with 19 seconds left and the defending Eastern Conference champions trailing 101-98.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, there’s fear Butler sustained an MCL injury in his knee that could sideline him for an indefinite period.
Per WebMD.com, a Grade 1 MCL sprain usually heals in 1-3 weeks. A Grade 2 MCL tear often takes 4-6 weeks with treatment. A Grade 3 MCL tear tends to take six weeks or longer to heal with treatment and may take longer if one undergoes surgery.
If the Heat win without the six-time All-Star on Friday, they’ll face the Celtics in a first-round playoff series that starts on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 EST at TD Garden.
Further Reading
Brad Stevens Addresses Potential Extension with Derrick White
Brad Stevens Notes Crucial Element of Celtics’ Title Pursuit: ‘Bigger Than Themselves’
After Career Night, Reflective Payton Pritchard Discusses NBA Journey and His Ultimate Pursuit
‘Nip That in the Bud’: Celtics Address End-of-Season Struggles
Jrue Holiday on Celtics Extension: ‘Try to Get More Banners, Get More Rings’
Aiming to Maximize Championship Window, Celtics Extend Jrue Holiday
Jaylen Brown Shares What Latest Milestone Means to Him
Celtics Embracing Challenge to Go Beyond Most Talented
Jayson Tatum Opens Up About Sacrificing in Celtics’ Title Pursuit: ‘It’s a Process’