Having won two out of the first three games, the Miami Heat were having a fairly successful homestand before they suffered a tough loss against the Boston Celtics. As the Heat begin their six-game-long road trip, fans hope that Erik Spoelstra and Co. can put an end to their losing streak. However, as they are set to face the formidable Milwaukee Bucks, the presence of Jimmy Butler will be crucial.
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Even though Jimmy Butler has been injury-free for the past two months, he missed out on the previous contest due to “personal reasons”. Moments before the Celtics-Heat matchup, Butler’s agent issued a statement, disclosing that the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP was dealing with a death in his family.
“Jimmy Butler has been granted a leave of absence as he deals with the death of a family member. Jimmy and his family ask for privacy at this point in time as they navigate this loss. Updates will be given when appropriate,” the statement read.
Unfortunately, fans of the Miami Heat will not witness their star player suit up tonight as well. To make matters worse, Butler is joined by Josh Richardson, Terry Rozier, and Dru Smith, all of whom are set to be “out”.
Jimmy Butler has been terrific in his last five games
Following the announcement of the All-Star Team, Jimmy Butler shifted gears and elevated his game. After recording only 19.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in December, Jimmy Buckets improved to 22.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in January.
In the four games that he’s played this month, Butler has been unstoppable. While he also had his career-best streak of hitting a three-pointer in 10 straight games, the guard displayed his two-way capabilities and averaged 21.3 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in February, while leading the Florida side to 3 out of 4 wins.
Even though the defending Eastern Conference champs have a winning 9-7 record without Butler, they will not be entering the contests as the favorites. Apart from the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co. are on a two-game win streak, the Bucks also defeated the Jimmy Butler-less Heat in November.
Fortunately, the Miami Heat have a 2.5-game cushion as they sit 8th on the Eastern Conference standings. Win or lose, Bam Adebayo and Co. are not going to witness any movement in standings.
