Jimmy Butler and P.J. Tucker Won't Join Heat for Season Finale
With top spot in the Eastern Conference locked up and a long playoff road ahead, the Miami Heat have elected to give a couple of their starters time to recuperate. The team’s official Twitter account confirmed that Jimmy Butler and P.J. Tucker are out of the season finale Sunday against the Orlando Magic.
Miami has five additional players listed as questionable with various injuries.
#MIAvsORL UPDATE: Butler (not with team) and Tucker (calf) have been ruled out of tomorrow?s game vs the Magic.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 9, 2022
Dedmon (ankle), Highsmith (hip), Morris (hip), Vincent (toe) & Yurtseven (illness) are all listed as questionable.
The Heat didn’t provide a specific reason why Butler won’t play on Sunday, noting only that he didn’t travel with the team. The six-time All-Star has appeared in just 57 games for Miami while dealing with injuries throughout the season.
Tucker was diagnosed with a calf injury earlier in the week and will be re-evaluated mid-next week.
Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson are likely to start in place of Butler and Tucker, respectively.
FanDuel Sportsbook will have lines up for tomorrow’s contests once today’s slate concludes.