MY ACCOUNT
The Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler expects to be fit for the start of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against Philadelphia 76ers on Monday after recovering from a knee injury.
Butler sat out the Heat’s Game 5 win over the Atlanta Hawks as the team secured their first semi-finals appearance since 2019-20, when they went on to lose the NBA finals to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The six-time NBA all-star impressed in the first four games of the first-round series, becoming just the third player in franchise history – after LeBron James and Dwyane Wade – to post 45 points, five rebounds and five assists in a playoff match in Game 2, but missed out on the series-clinching win.
However, the 32-year-old is confident he will return for the top-seeded Heat’s opening clash with the 76ers.
“It’s all right,” Butler said of his knee after Saturday’s practice. “We got another day in between. Get out there, rip and ride.
“I know it will be ready to hold up come Monday, but the time off has been great for myself and so many other guys that are nicked up. Everybody’s ready to compete.”
Guard Kyle Lowry, who also missed out on the Heat’s last outing, was also able to do “a little bit more” on Saturday, coach Erik Spoelstra revealed.
Butler said he would be disappointed to see former team-mate Joel Embiid miss out for the 76ers after he suffered a mild concussion and orbital fracture against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday.
“I feel bad for my guy,” Butler added. “Obviously, one of my former team-mates, arguably the MVP of this league, and I think I speak for everybody that’s a part of this team, we want Jo to play.
“We want to go up against them at full strength and prove that we can hang with anybody and we can beat anybody.
“It’s a mishap. I hope he recovers well and gets back very, very soon.”
Butler, who spent part of the 2018-19 season with the Sixers, said Embiid would get his vote for MVP after the 28-year-old averaged 30.6 points per game across the regular season – the highest figure in the NBA.
“I’m not an analytics guy, obviously,” he added. “But I was told that they’re a much better team defensively whenever he’s on the floor, as they should be. I would guess offensively as well.
“And he makes the right plays as well – but he’s been doing this a long time in this league, [I’m] damn sure has been this year.
“He would get my vote for MVP. It’s going to be a challenge, but they beat us once without him.”
