The Miami Heat are traveling to Brooklyn to take on the Nets in Kevin Durant's much-anticipated return to the lineup on Thursday night. This comes after Jimmy Butler and Co. choked away a late 14-point lead against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. Butler is apparently dealing with a left big toe injury, which could help explain why he shot just 2-of-14 in a dismal performance in Milwaukee. So, everybody wants to know: Is Jimmy Butler playing tonight vs. the Nets?

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Is Heat star Jimmy Butler playing vs. Nets

Butler is currently listed as questionable for Thursday's game, so it looks like this could be a game-time decision. The Heat star is one of several key players listed as questionable, with P.J. Tucker, Max Strus and Caleb Martin all getting that designation as well. Kyle Lowry, Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris all remain out.

Miami is used to playing shorthanded this season, but if Butler and others join the latter three on the bench, it's going to be awfully tough to beat a Brooklyn team that will be amped up in Durant's return. This is especially true given it's the second night of a back-to-back after the tough loss in Milwaukee.

Butler himself has missed a good amount of time this season, playing in 44 out of 63 games. Even so, Butler earned another All-Star nod, and he's currently averaging 21.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 47.0% from the field. His 3-point shooting continues to fall off a cliff (19.0%), but that hasn't diminished his overall effectiveness.

The Heat are currently in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 41-22 record. While a win over the Nets would be nice, the most important thing is staying healthy. Ultimately, when it comes to whether Jimmy Butler is playing tonight vs. the Nets, the answer is still unknown.