Butler has been sidelined by the same injury in their last two games against the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks, but he was playing well enough to give the Heat hope that he would be back for Christmas. He was even upgraded to questionable by the team, which fueled speculation about his imminent return to the starting lineup.
Surprisingly though, Butler was not considered. We now understand why. The most recent reports state that Butler’s recuperation was hampered by an illness, which also delayed his return.
Jimmy Butler’s recuperation from his calf injury was supposed to begin tonight, but he became ill and had to postpone it. Butler is expected to make a comeback when the Heat travel to the West Coast later this week, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
Jalen Johnson of the Hawks is advised to make his long-awaited comeback against the Bulls.
Two hours ago, Jason Patt
Before the Heat’s game against the 76ers on Christmas Day, Bam Adebayo and his teammates discussed playing.
Three hours ago, Zachary Weinberger
After a knee procedure, Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter will be out for at least two weeks.
Four hours ago, Joey Mistretta
Undoubtedly, this is a disappointing development for both the Heat and the supporters who were looking forward to a star-studded match between Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler. For those who don’t know, Embiid’s annoying ankle injury has also ruled him out.
Having said that, for the game to be extremely competitive and thrilling, both teams will need to rely on their second stars. The Sixers are predicted to be led by Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, while the Heat are predicted to be led by Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, given their recent performance.
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