Jimmy Butler opens up on illness that sidelined him, reiterates key goal

Jimmy Butler Miami Heat

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Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler has sat out every one of the team’s past five contests. But he will be available to take the court for Miami for the first time since Dec. 20 when the Heat play the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.

Ahead of Butler’s expected return to the lineup, he spoke on the illness that kept him sidelined and reiterated that his goal is to appear as in many games as his body allows him to.

“I was pretty bad,” Butler said. “I was pretty messed up. But I wanted to compete. Because I actually do want to play as many games as possible, and I’m not even messing around.”

Butler exited the court during the Dec. 20 matchup between the Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder because he turned his ankle, but according to the forward, the illness is what convinced him to head to the locker room.

“I came out and I felt sluggish and then I tweaked it a little bit, but that wasn’t what it was,” he said. “I was out there damn near starving, getting ready to throw up and all of that stuff. But I feel good. I feel good now. So I’m cool.”

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra admitted that the last week has been “rough” for the 35-year-old as he had to watch his team play from the sidelines.

“He went through it this past week,” Spoelstra said. “It was rough. But he’s back in good spirits.”

Butler has played in 20 of Miami’s 30 regular-season games to this point and is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game in his sixth season as a member of the Heat.

The Heat were able to keep afloat in the Eastern Conference standings with Butler down for the count. Miami has won three of its last five games and is only several days removed from an impressive road win over one of the top teams in the Western Conference so far this season: the Houston Rockets.

Miami beat Houston by four points on Dec. 29, though Tyler Herro and Amen Thompson ignited an altercation that resulted in six ejections and two suspensions. Terry Rozier will be suspended against the Pelicans for his part in the scuffle.

Thanks to the likes of Herro and Bam Adebayo stepping up in the absence of Butler in recent games, Miami is within reach of a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference. The Heat are just two games back of the No. 4 seed Orlando Magic in the standings and can shrink that gap to just one game with a win over a Pelicans (who have just five wins on the season) and a Magic loss.

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