NBA Rumors: Jimmy Butler Expected To Miss Celtics-Heat Series

The Boston Celtics caught a break to begin their first-round playoff series with the Miami Heat.

Jimmy Butler, who didn’t play in Sunday afternoon’s Game 1 Celtics win, remains watching from the sidelines after Miami’s play-in tournament win over the Sixers. Butler helped keep the Heat from falling out of securing a first-round spot, scoring 19 points and playing 40 minutes after suffering an MCL sprain in the first quarter.

But the latest surrounding Butler’s injury suggests the 34-year-old won’t return in time to compete against the Celtics in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals.

“It’s crazy to hear Jimmy Butler played three quarters with what I’m hearing now was a severe MCL sprain. He is not going to be back in this series,” The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Monday on FanDuel’s “Run It Back.” “This is a rehab that’s gonna go at least one month, could be two months of rehab. This is something Jimmy Butler’s gonna have to work on.”

Butler led the Heat in points (20.8), assists (5) and steals, while also shooting 49.9% from the field and 41.4% from three in 60 games.

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It didn’t take too long for Butler’s absence to make itself known throughout Game 1 against the Celtics. Miami allowed Boston to follow the series-opening tip-off with a 14-0 run. The Celtics tied a franchise playoff record by knocking down 22 3-pointers en route to a 114-94 victory, which posed various concerns — Butler’s absence aside — heading into Game 2.

Miami shrank in search for interior scoring, totaling just 24 points inside the paint while allowing 44 to the Celtics. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was even forced to call an emergency timeout two minutes into the game.

“We have to do things that get our best players going, and also other guys stepping up and making plays to keep them honest,” Spoelstra told reporters after Game 1, per team-provided video.

The Heat received their most notable contribution from reserve unit guard Delon Wright, who delivered 17 points and hit a career-best five threes, notching a higher scoring total than four of Miami’s starters. That performance ultimately went to waste.

“They gonna look at us and be like, we can’t win without Jimmy,” Miami’s Bam Adebayo explained, per team-provided video. “You look at records because we were in the play-in. Then you look at (Boston’s) record any case may be, but at the end of the day you gotta play the game. You gotta go out there and compete.”

Boston went 3-0 against Miami in the regular season.