Taylor Bicht
2 min read • May 23, 2022
Posted in
Although star Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler left and did return after halftime, his club rallied without him winning Game 3 109-103.
Miami will welcome back Butler as he intends to play Game 4.
Point guard Kyle Lowry will start for the second straight game as he continues to nurse a hamstring ailment. The veteran will make pre-planned visits to the locker-room as the series progresses but Lowry should continue to look better on both ends of the court.
The most recent out in this tight knit series is 6th man of the year Tyler Herro, who will miss the contest due to a groin strain. The injury will limit the shifty guard from creating space and getting open for good looks, meaning his absence makes sense as this is what the guard relies on to generate offense.
On the other side of the ball, fellow award winner Marcus Smart is dealing with an ankle sprain and will likely be ineffective as he deals with the swelling that coincides with this type of injury.
Fellow defensive wizard, Robert Williams is dealing with a bone bruise since the previous series and after missing Game 3, is expected to join the starting lineup once again.
The biggest star but the smallest worry here at sicscore.com is the shoulder issue attached to Duke alum Jayson Tatum. We do not expect the injury to effect the stud going forward meaning Tatum will be leaned heavily after a down Game 3.
With injuries on both sides, prop value lies across the board heading into Game 4:
Injury-Based Prop Plays
Victor Oladipo O10.5 Points - The former All-Star will play extended minutes as he fills the Herro role, has gone over this prop just once in the last three games but should easily exceed with the new role
Jimmy Butler U36.5 Points+Rebounds+Assists - The former 76er is dealing with a right knee issue as early as the Hawks series but has played well through, looked off to start Game 3 before leaving and although playing tonight, not 100% we will get the full Butler experience, shoot for the under as he will likely not be his all-around self
Grant Williams U9.5 Points - The Celtics big man has been a revelation this season and particularly this postseason on both offense and defense, the Tennessee alum will likely not start with Williams back and after barely hitting prop last time out, expect Williams to go just under the points prop
Written by Taylor Bicht
