The Miami Heat are due to challenge the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, however, they'll be without Jimmy Butler because of an ankle injury. Butler tweaked his ankle back on April 13 during their game against the Phoenix Suns.
According to the Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra claims the ankle has not gotten better over time, making Butler day-to-day moving forward.
This puts the Heat in a tough position for Sunday's game. Miami is sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference and trying to secure a playoff spot. They had a solid chance to compete against the Nets, but the Heat are in trouble without their best player. Victor Oladipo also remains out of the lineup, while Andre Iguodala will play.
The Nets are undoubtedly one of the best teams in the league right now. With a superstar lineup (albeit without James Harden) going up against a battered Heat team, the odds are stacking in Brooklyn's favor. Hopefully, Miami can get healthy soon. With just 16 games left on their schedule, the Heat are going to need their best players to have a chance to make the postseason.
There is only a five-game difference between the Heat and the 11th-place Washington Wizards. If Butler misses even more time, this could be the beginning of a bad ending for the Miami Heat. We'll see how Miami fares against Brooklyn without their best player. Butler still could return to the lineup for Monday's game against the Houston Rockets, but it's unclear if he'll be ready.
Until then, catch the Heat against the Nets at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. Butler called out the team after the loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, so we'll see how they respond without him in the lineup.
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