Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler expressed his desire to play in the NBA playoffs despite an MCL sprain that has sidelined him for four games. The Heat, who are playing without Butler and point guard Terry Rozier, remain confident in their chances against the Boston Celtics despite being the No. 8 seed.
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler voiced his determination to return to action in the NBA playoffs, even though a sprained MCL has kept him out of the lineup for four games.
Butler, who suffered the injury in the play-in round against the Philadelphia 76ers, spoke to TNT during a first-quarter stoppage of the Heat's Eastern Conference first-round game against the Boston Celtics on Saturday night.
"I don't know about a timeline, but we've been working," Butler said. "I want to hoop. I want to get out here. I want some of this."
According to an initial assessment, Butler was expected to miss multiple weeks due to the knee injury. He played through the pain for the final three quarters of the game in Philadelphia after sustaining the injury in the first quarter.
Butler has been undergoing treatment since the injury, but the Heat have not provided a specific timetable for his return.
The Heat are playing this series without Butler and point guard Terry Rozier, who is sidelined with a neck injury. The Heat, who went to the NBA Finals last year as the eighth seed in the East, remain confident even as they face a Celtics team that finished the regular season with the NBA's best record.
"I think we believe," Butler said. "It's everybody else that don't."
The Heat showed their resilience in Game 1 against the Celtics, narrowly losing 118-107 despite Butler's absence.
Bam Adebayo led the way for Miami with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists. Tyler Herro added 21 points, while Kyle Lowery contributed 17 points.
The Celtics were led by Jayson Tatum's 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Jaylen Brown added 18 points, and Al Horford chipped in 16 points.
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Monday night in Boston.
While the Heat are facing an uphill battle without Butler, they remain confident in their ability to compete.
"We got a lot of guys that can step up," Adebayo said. "We're not going to use Jimmy being out as an excuse. We're going to go out there and play hard and try to get a win."
The Heat's confidence stems from their experience in last year's playoffs, when they overcame injuries and adversity to reach the NBA Finals.
"We've been through this before," Herro said. "We know what it takes to win. We're not going to give up."
Butler's return would undoubtedly boost the Heat's chances of advancing in the playoffs. However, even without their star forward, the Heat have shown that they have the heart and determination to compete with anyone.
