The Miami Heat received additional bad news following their narrow 105-104 loss in their first play-in tournament game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, April 16, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Heat star forward Jimmy Butler is feared to have sustained an MCL injury in his right knee, according to league insider Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The 34-year-old is expected to undergo an MRI soon to assess the extent of the injury, and depending on the results, he could be sidelined indefinitely.
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The six-time NBA All-Star appeared to have suffered the injury in the final seconds of the first quarter after Sixers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. fell on him during a pump fake, leading to an awkward landing.
Despite grabbing his knee in pain, Butler continued to play for the remainder of the evening.
Jimmy Butler left the building with worrying limp
Butler was spotted leaving the Wells Fargo Center with noticeable difficulty in walking after the grueling loss.
"It had me feeling that I couldn't do too much," the 6-foot-7 forward told the media in the post-game interview. He also confirmed that he will undergo an MRI on Thursday, April 18.
Butler played the game for nearly 40 minutes despite being hurt, contributing 19 points on 5-of-18 shooting. Additionally, he secured four rebounds, dished out five assists, and recorded five steals.
The Heat are scheduled to face the Chicago Bulls in a winner-take-all play-in game on Friday, April 19, to determine the final playoff seed in the East.
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