Heat star Jimmy Butler officially ruled out for Game 2 of the East’s semifinals against the Knicks

Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler will be missing this Tuesday night’s second match of the semifinal series against New York due to the sprained right ankle he suffered this past weekend in Game 1 when his team won 108-101.

The injury occurred in the fourth quarter when the foward collided with rival Josh Hart while driving to the basket. Apparently the player could barely move in the final moments of the contest, as coach Erik Spoelstra decided to let him play as Butler didn’t want to be taken out of the game.

Jimmy Butler is out for Game 2 tonight vs. the Knicks, the Miami Heat announced. pic.twitter.com/gAMrgosp3P

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 2, 2023

His trainer had told the press they had to wait until this Tuesday morning before they could make a decision, depending on the player’s status. However, Miami’s medical staff preferred not to risk it and decided to oficially rule him out for tonight (7:30 pm ET).

“Look, at this point, yeah, we’re having very reasonable conversations,” Spoelstra assured. “I know where his heart is. I know what he wants to do. This was not just a decision between Jimmy and I. We’re probably the worst people to rely on to make that kind of decision, you know?

“So yeah, we have to pull into the medical staff, the trading staff, and we have to make a responsible decision. And that’s the decision we made, and we’re all on board with that.”

During the play, the foward was given a foul on the play, as he stayed on the floor for some minutes before getting up to take his free throw. He then proceded to score both his shots from the line, and remained the rest of the contest in this condition.

Even though the player stayed on court during the rest of their seven-point victory, he seemed in clear pain and was rather unproductive down the stretch. “[It feels] like a rolled ankle,” he told the press after the match.

“Find a way to win, be out there, be a presence,” Butler said about his team’s mentality. “I didn’t do too much except for airball a 3, but I’ll take the dub.”

Miami feel strong enough to confront the Knicks without Butler

Even though their star player is out for Game 2, the Heat have grown confident in their performance as a team against New York this Tuesday in the Madison Square Garden.

Take a look at Butler’s highlights from this postseason’s first round series against the Bucks:

His teammate Kyle Lowry gave praise to him after the match, explaining what an inspiration he is for the team and how this just went to show how strong of a player he is for staying in the game.

“That’s our guy. He’s our star. He’s our franchise player,” he said. “We always want him to get up and the thoughts are hopefully he’s OK but if he’s not, we got to find, hold it down. … But this is what he does. He finished the game and he’s a tough dude.”