10:14pm: Butler’s injury isn’t serious and there’s a “strong possibility” he’ll be ready for Monday’s Game 4, a source tells Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The Heat now hold a 2-1 series lead.
9:08pm: Heat forward Jimmy Butler didn’t return to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals after halftime because of inflammation in his right knee, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Butler played nearly 20 minutes in the first half with eight points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. He helped Miami build a 15-point lead at halftime as the team tries to bounce back from a lopsided loss in Game 2. Victor Oladipo started the second half in Butler’s place.
Butler has been the Heat’s leading scorer throughout the playoffs, averaging 29.8 PPG through 12 games, more than double anyone else on the team. He missed Game 5 of the first-round series against Atlanta with the same issue and has been dealing with discomfort in the knee throughout the postseason.
The Celtics had a health scare of their own as Marcus Smart was helped to the locker room with an ankle injury shortly after the second half began, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Smart suffered a sprain but will try to play through it, a source tells Weiss (Twitter link).
Not a single time in 8 years…
Not surprising. The Heat play physically, and most teams have injury absences.
Ankles turn but can be walked off. They’re not like knees. Evolution has provided ankles with many small bones and much flexibility to keep humans moving with the tribe.
The Celts provided the best antidote to all these blowout games in these playoffs: a slow, steady comeback with the crowd pushing to get even!
Apparently you didn’t watch the Warriors’ slow steady comeback in game 2 where (unlike the Celts) they won!
The Celtics’ pattern of alternating wins and losses continued, and Smart might not play in game 4 if his ankle swells.
I still like Bos this series but Mia is setting the blueprint for Kerr with their defense.
Also beating the hell outta um (up top) which is always in GSW’s playbook
Boston still prevails barring health/Covid tho both series. They’ll bounce back Monday and knot it up
Mia has won 2 of the 12 qrters so far!!!!!!!!
That Smart ankle sprain was bad. Can’t even watch it. I’m shocked he came back. Glad it’s not major. Jimmy get well, Heat can’t do it without you. This was a gritty team win. Oladipo defense and PJ defense was huge. Oladipo has earned rotation mins now. Heat need everyone. This is too hard to do this every gm. Herro and Duncan where are you guys.
Bam was great both ways. Total team win. Imo because both these teams play team D. If healthy both could beat Warriors.
Seems like last man standing is going to win this series. Heat showed a lot after losing and winning in Boston. Without Jimmy. Wow gutsy big time. Huge win
Can’t wait for gm 4.
Only reason I was slightly surprised he came back was him trying to get up and not being able to. A lot of times, you might be able to play through injury like that, and then it effects you afterwards, but in situations where you try to get up and cant, it usually means it’s already really bad, at least in my experiences
That tape saved him lol. That’s was ugly
Neither east team can beat a healthy Warriors team.
Why do players miss so many games these days. Early generations NEVER missed ?