Heat without Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love and others vs. Warriors
The Miami Heat will be without star Jimmy Butler for Tuesday night’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors at Kaseya Center.
Butler will miss the game because of a non-COVID illness. He was added to the injury report after missing Tuesday’s morning shootaround, initially being listed as probable at the start of the day before being downgraded to questionable and then eventually being ruled out a few hours prior to tipoff.
“He’s sick. He doesn’t feel well at all today,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before Tuesdays’ game. “So we’ll evaluate him tomorrow and see how he feels.”
Tuesday marks the 22nd game that Butler, 34, has missed this season because of various reasons. It’s the third contest he has missed in the last six games after missing two games during the Heat’s last trip due to a right foot contusion.
The Heat also ruled out backup center Kevin Love, who will miss his 14th straight game with a bruised right heel. Love was upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s contest, but will miss at least one more game.
“We just have to give those classifications to the league, so they don’t come down on us and fine us,” Spoelstra said when asked whether there was a setback after Love’s status was initially upgraded on the injury report. “But I never thought he was going to play tonight.”
Along with missing Butler and Love, the Heat will also be without Tyler Herro (right foot medial tendintis), Josh Richardson (season-ending right shoulder surgery) and Duncan Robinson (left facet syndrome) against the Warriors.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (left ankle discomfort) and Caleb Martin (right ankle discomfort), who were questionable, are available to play on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the only player on the Warriors’ injury report is Trayce Jackson-Davis, who will miss Tuesday’s game because of right knee soreness.
After Tuesday’s matchup against the Warriors, the Heat has two days off before closing its four-game homestand on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
This story was originally published March 26, 2024 at 5:56 PM.
