Miami Heat Star Misses Practice Ahead Of Play-In Game On Friday

Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler missed practice on Thursday ahead of Friday night's win or go home play-in game against the Chicago Bulls.

Jimmy Butler is one of the best two-way players in the entire NBA and if the Miami Heat are going to have a chance at winning their final play-in game on Friday night against the Chicago Bulls, they will need Butler available and playing like the All-Star we know him to be. 

However, Butler missed the Heat's practice on Thursday, drawing questions about his availability for Friday's game against the Bulls. 

According to Anthony Chiang from The Miami Herald, Butler had missed Thursday's practice due to personal reasons and his absence is not expected to carry over to the Eastern Conference's 8-seed play-in game. 

Jimmy Butler was not at today’s practice because of personal reasons. He’s expected to be available for Friday’s game.

— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) April 13, 2023

Heat fans can certainly breath a sigh of relief, as Butler not dealing with an injury is good news. 

Jimmy Butler has played in a total of 64 games this season, averaging 22.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and shooting 53.9 percent from the floor. He also averaged 1.8 steals per game, marking the twelfth consecutive season in which Butler has averaged at least 1.5 steals per game over the course of a season. 

One of the most impactful players in the league for his team, Butler recently had 21 points and 9 assists in the Heat's first play-in game against the Atlanta Hawks, but they were unable to win and claim the 7-seed in the conference. 

"We have to know we are capable of winning," Butler said after Tuesday's loss. "If we start out the right way and if we rebound obviously. But it's just, I don't know, shots don't go in, we foul -- that's never the recipe for success with us. So come Friday, we've got to play, like, legit the exact opposite that we played tonight."

Miami is set to host the Bulls on Friday night in a do-or-die 8-seed play-in game. The winner will advance to play the Milwaukee Bucks in the first-round of the playoffs, while the losers will go home and begin thinking about the 2023-24 season. 

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