2 min read • December 07, 2021
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Miami Heat all-star Jimmy Butler left in the 3rd quarter tonight after aggravating the tailbone contusion that kept him out of the last 4 games. Butler landed on his lower back early in the contest, but stayed in the game – although he was laboring – before heading for the locker room with about 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter of the 105-90 loss to the Grizzlies. Head coach Eric Spoelstra said the team will re-evaluate him on Tuesday. The 32-year-old initially suffered the injury on Nov. 27 after being up-ended by Alex Caruso on a block attempt.
Butler scored 10 points on 4-13 shooting, adding 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in 25 minutes, with no noticeable difference in statistical production before or after the injury. Miami – which dropped its 4th in 5 games and fell to 14-11 – will already be without Bam Adebayo for at least the next month with a torn UCL, and have been missing forward Markieff Morris since Nov. 8 with a neck injury, leaving its wing depth significantly weakened if Butler misses more time.
The Heat have an important 4-game set coming up, facing the Bucks, Bulls, Cavaliers, and 76ers in a tight East, with only 2.5 games separating the 4-seed Heat from the 12-seed Raptors.
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