NBA Playoffs: Heat’s Jimmy Butler injured, Celtics prepare to face Heat or Bulls in first round
The winner of Friday's Miami-Chicago matchup will go on to face the Celtics in round one of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Celtics’ playoff picture is starting to take shape after the eight-seeded Heat fell to the seventh-seeded 76ers in the first Eastern Conference play-in tournament game Wednesday night.
The Heat will host the Bulls on Friday night to determine which team will kick off Round 1 of the playoffs against the Celtics in Boston on Sunday.
The Celtics remain undefeated against both the Heat and Bulls during the 2023-24 regular season, going 3-0 in each matchup.
Miami lost momentum early on Wednesday, giving up a 14-point lead in the first half of the 105-104 road loss. Besides sinking lower in the standings, the Heat suffered further heartbreak when star forward Jimmy Butler suffered a hit on a layup in transition at the end of the first quarter.
While Butler remained on the court, playing 40 minutes and scoring 19 points, he was noticeably inhibited shooting just 5 for 18 from the field. After the game the 34-year-old revealed that he will undergo an MRI Thursday, but “is feared to gave suffered an MCL injury in his knee” that will sideline him for multiple weeks, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
In last year’s Eastern Conference finals – when Boston came back from 3-0 before falling to Miami in Game 7 – Butler averaged 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
As Butler awaits official confirmation on his injury, the Celtics could face a sparse Heat squad down the stretch. Injuries continue to plague the roster with Miami’s Terry Rozier (neck) and Duncan Robinson (back) sitting out of Wednesday’s loss against the 76ers.
Philadelphia will take on the No. 2 seeded Knicks in the first round on Saturday, with the Celtics set to play their opening playoff game the following day. Here’s Boston’s full first-round schedule:
Game 1: 1 p.m. Sunday, April 21 at TD Garden in Boston on ESPN
Game 2: 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 at TD Garden in Boston on TNT
Game 3: 6 p.m. Saturday, April 27 at TBA on TNT
Game 4: TBD Monday, April 29 at TBA on TNT
Game 5*: TBD Wednesday, May 1 at TD Garden in Boston on TBD
Game 6*: TBD Friday, May 3 at TBA on TBD
Game 7*: TBD, Sunday, May 5 at TD Garden in Boston on TNT
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