Despite being tied 1-1, The Miami Heat should feel good about where they stand in their series against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Semifinals. They managed to come from behind and take a stealing homecourt away from the Knicks and put another higher seed on their heels. The Heat didn’t come out of Game 1 unscathed, however, star Jimmy Butler rolled his ankle midway through the fourth quarter but played through the injury.
While that is normally a good thing, anyone who has ever rolled their ankle knows that it has a tendency to swell upwards and that appears to be the case with Butler following the game. He later missed Game 2 but his team kept it close, proving that they can hang with the Knicks. With Game 3 coming up, that leads to concerns about the health status of Butler for Game 3
Jimmy Butler’s latest injury status for Game 3: Knicks at Heat
Despite having a few days to recover, Butler’s status for Game 3 is questionable. Butler’s ankle reportedly swelled up to the size of a baseball, and while the swelling may have gone down some, he may not be ready for Saturday’s game against the Knicks.
Jimmy Butler Works Out With Team On Friday, Questionable For Saturday's Game 3 https://t.co/17k6ZqFDWk
— RealGM (@RealGM) May 6, 2023
When will Jimmy Butler play?
With Butler not playing on Tuesday against the Knicks, the Heat took a precautionary approach in regard to their best player. With Miami having already stolen Game 1, they could afford to sit Butler to give him more time to recover. After all, Game 3 is on Saturday and it will give him five full days to recover from his ankle sprain.
It might not be enough time for Butler to get back to 100% but the closer the better. And, with a 1-1 series split, the Heat put themselves in the best position to take both games in Miami.
Miami Heat’s full injury report
In addition to Butler, Victor Oladipo, Tyler Herro, and Haywood Highsmith appear on the injury report. Herro is out for at least six weeks with a broken hand, Oladipo is out for the season with a torn patellar tendon, and Highsmith is listed as probable after a knee injury.
Miami Heat full Conference Semifinals schedule:
The Heat will benefit from the NBA’s schedule since it gives both teams three days to switch cities ahead of Game 3 and Game 4. Here is the Heat’s remaining series schedule:
Game 3-Sat, 5/6 vs NY 3:30 PM
Game 4-Mon, 5/8 vs NY 7:30 PM TNT
Game 5-Wed, 5/10 @ NY TBD TNT
Game 6-Fri, 5/12 vs NY TBD
Game 7-Mon, 5/15 @ NY 8:00 PM TNT
In conclusion, Butler is questionable for Game 3 against the Knicks. That said, with the extra days off, Butler has more time to recover and could very well play in Miami.