Jazz To Face Heat Minus Jimmy Butler – KSL Sports
Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat defends Bojan Bogdanovic #44 of the Utah Jazz during a game at Vivint Smart Home Arena on February 13, 2021 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz will face the Miami Heat without superstar Jimmy Butler.
Butler suffered an ankle injury against the Los Angeles Lakers in Miami’s loss to the Lakers on Wednesday night. The guard played the entire first quarter before sitting over the final 36 minutes of the game.
Miami listed Butler as questionable ahead of the game, but head coach Erik Spoelstra announced that the All-Star wouldn’t play shortly before tip-off.
The Heat may also be without big man Bam Adebayo who is a game-time decision. Spoelstra announced the star would go through more treatment prior to the game before making a decision on his availability.
The Jazz lost to Miami last Saturday on the second game of a three-game road trip. The Jazz mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter shaving a 19 point deficit to just one in the final minute of the game, but couldn’t get over the jump.
Butler had 27 points and six assists while Adebayo added 17 points in the Heat win over the Jazz.
The Jazz will be near full-strength as they face Miami. Only Rudy Gay is listed on the team’s injury sheet after undergoing heel surgery during the offseason. Gay has yet to appear in a Jazz uniform.
Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles, and Donovan Mitchell will all be available for the Jazz after a light shoving match saw all three players ejected in the team’s loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.
Each player was fined for their role, but no player was suspended by the NBA.