Heat getting Butler and Tucker back, but Lowry still out for Tuesday’s game vs. Raptors
The Miami Heat’s injury report does not include star Jimmy Butler.
That’s good news for the Heat, as Butler will be available for Tuesday night’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena in Miami’s fourth game in five nights.
Butler missed Monday’s 122-92 road loss to the Boston Celtics because of right big toe irritation. But the fact that it was the front end of a back-to-back, the Heat’s third game in four nights and just 48 hours after Butler played 52 minutes in Saturday’s triple-overtime loss to the Raptors were also factors.
Heat forward P.J. Tucker will also play in Tuesday’s game after missing Monday’s loss with left knee irritation.
The bad news for the Heat is it remains without starting point guard Kyle Lowry, who will miss his ninth straight game because of personal reasons. Lowry will also miss an opportunity to play his first game in Toronto since leaving the Raptors to join the Heat this past offseason.
The Heat faces the Raptors again in Toronto late this season on April 3.
There’s no definitive timetable for when he’ll be back. But a return during the Heat’s current six-game trip that ends next week has not been ruled out.
Along with missing Lowry, the Heat will also be without Markieff Morris (return to competition reconditioning), KZ Okpala (right wrist sprain), Victor Oladipo (right knee injury recovery) and Omer Yurtseven (health and safety protocols) on Tuesday in Toronto. 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.
Most of the Raptors’ regulars will be available for their game against the Heat. Toronto, which is also playing on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Hawks in Atlanta on Monday, has only ruled out Khem Birch (nose fracture), Isaac Bonga (G League), Goran Dragic (not with team) and David Johnson (G League).
This story was originally published February 1, 2022 at 2:32 PM.
