On Monday, the Miami Heat lost to the Golden State Warriors 115-108, and to add injury to insult, team MVP Jimmy Butler went down with what looked like a serious ankle injury.
Afterward, head coach Erik Spoelstra had some optimistic words to say about Butler’s prognosis.
Erik Spoelstra on Jimmy Butler: "If you talk to Jimmy right now, he says he's fine. … We'll have to evaluate him tomorrow."
— David Wilson (@DBWilson2) January 4, 2022
Although nothing is official as of this writing, if Butler has to miss more than a little bit of time, it would be a huge blow to a Heat team that is already shorthanded.
Even without star big man Bam Adebayo (thumb surgery) and several other players who are in health and safety protocols, the Heat have been able to win most of their games in the last few weeks.
But with the Eastern Conference looking as deep and competitive as ever, even a brief slump could cause Miami to drop in the standings.
Without their best player, the Heat hung tough against arguably the best team in pro basketball. Caleb Martin, a newcomer to the Heat’s championship culture, put up an efficient 19 points to go along with nine rebounds.
But as a team, Miami shot very poorly from the field and was no match for Stephen Curry and crew.
