The Miami Heat lost a big contest to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, 128-111.
However, things may get worse, as there’s a chance they’ll lose star swingman Jimmy Butler for some time.
Butler exited the game with 4:11 remaining in the third quarter and did not return. At the time, the Heat trailed the Clippers 84-74.
Without Butler, Miami made a bit of a run in the fourth quarter, cutting its deficit to 109-103 with 4:02 remaining on a dunk by Derrick Jones Jr.
But with Butler in the locker room, the Heat couldn’t prevent the Clippers from breaking the game open in the final minutes.
This game was the first of a six-game road trip for Miami. The rest of the games on this trip seem to be winnable, as only one of them, a Feb. 12 contest against the Utah Jazz, is against a team with a winning record.
The loss to the Clippers places the Heat’s record at 34-16, which is fourth-best in the Eastern Conference. They’re one full game behind the Boston Celtics, and nine games behind the first-place Milwaukee Bucks.