Butler questionable, Lowry still out, Yurtseven in protocols as Heat begins trip vs. Celtics
The Miami Heat will begin its long six-game trip without starting point guard Kyle Lowry and possibly without starting wing Jimmy Butler.
Lowry remains away from the Heat because of personal reasons and did not travel with the team to Boston on Sunday for the start of the trip, which begins Monday against the Celtics (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Sun and NBA TV).
Butler is listed as questionable for the contest because of a sprained right ankle, which he tweaked during Saturday’s home loss to the Toronto Raptors. Butler has already missed six games this season with a sprained right ankle — three games in November and three games in January.
Butler finished Saturday’s triple overtime loss with a season-high 37 points on 14-of-26 shooting, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in 52 minutes. It’s the first time Butler has played more than 50 minutes in a game as a member of the Heat.
As for Lowry, he’ll miss his eighth straight game on Monday because of undisclosed personal reasons. There’s no definitive timetable for Lowry’s return.
Along with Lowry, the Heat has also already ruled out Markieff Morris (return to competition reconditioning), KZ Okpala (right wrist sprain), Victor Oladipo (right knee injury recovery) and Omer Yurtseven (health and safety protocols) for Monday’s matchup against the Celtics. Oladipo was the only one in the group who traveled with the team on Sunday for the start of the trip, as he continues to work toward a return.
Yurtseven, who has played in only three of the last seven games since Bam Adebayo returned from injury, entered the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols on Sunday.
With the NBA and National Basketball Players Association shortening the quarantine period to five days for asymptomatic and vaccinated players to return to play if testing data shows they’re no longer at risk to be infectious, Yurtseven will likely miss at least the Heat’s next three games (Monday at Celtics, Tuesday at Toronto Raptors and Thursday at San Antonio Spurs). Yurtseven’s five-day quarantine runs through Friday.
The expectation is the Heat will bring back center Chris Silva on another 10-day contract as a COVID-19 replacement with Yurtseven in protocols. Silva’s current 10-day deal as a COVID-19 replacement for Tyler Herro, who has since returned from protocols, expired Sunday.
The list of Heat players who have yet to enter protocols this season includes Adebayo, Butler, Dewayne Dedmon, Okpala, Oladipo and Silva.
This story was originally published January 30, 2022 at 5:18 PM.
