Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler did not practice ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets, but it appears he is still on track to play.
Butler is probable for Wednesday’s game, while the Heat still won’t have Tyler Herro or Kevin Love against the defending champions.
Jimmy Butler didn’t practice today. Illness, probable for tomorrow. Herro and Love remain out for tomorrow.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) March 12, 2024
The Heat and Nuggets played earlier this season in Denver on Feb. 29 with the Nuggets pulling out a six-point win, 103-97. It was the seventh consecutive regular season win for the Nuggets against the Heat. The last time Miami beat Denver in the regular season came during the 2019-20 campaign.
Butler, who has already missed 19 games for Miami this season, played over 40 minutes in the team’s loss to the Nuggets earlier this season. He shot 7-for-17 from the field in that game, scoring 21 points while adding seven rebounds, three assists and one steal.
If Butler ends up getting downgraded, Miami could be in a tough spot since Herro – one of the team’s leading scorers – is already out. The Heat are 12-7 in the 19 games that Butler has missed in the 2023-24 campaign.
Despite the fact that he’s missed a lot of time, Butler has been extremely effective for the Heat. He’s averaging 21.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and a career-high 42.5 percent from beyond the arc.
This is the first time in Butler’s career that he’s shot over 40 percent from 3. Heat fans are certainly hoping he can keep that going for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs, as it makes him an even more dynamic scorer than he already is.
Miami would love to pick up a win against Denver, especially since the team is on a three-game losing streak. The team lost to the lowly Washington Wizards in its last game, falling to 35-29 on the season.
The Heat have slipped to the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference as a result, but they are still just two games back of the New York Knicks for the No. 4 seed.
The Nuggets and Heat are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. EST from Kaseya Center in Miami on Wednesday night.
