Inside The Celtics

Miami Heat Receive Devastating News on Jimmy Butler's Knee Injury

Bobby Krivitsky

Apr 7, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) walks down the court.
Apr 7, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) walks down the court. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
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Sunday afternoon at TD Garden, the Boston Celtics jumped out to a 1-0 series lead in a first-round rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Finals.

The hosts put together a dominant two-way performance for 36 minutes, taking a 91-59 lead into the final frame before easing off the gas. Even with Boston committing six turnovers in the fourth quarter, which the Miami Heat parlayed into 13 points, and missing multiple attempts at the rim, the visitors never pulled within single digits. 

A day after losing the series opener 114-94, Shams Charania reported on Run It Back on FanDuel TV that the knee injury that kept Jimmy Butler from participating in Sunday's matchup is a "severe MCL sprain." 

Charania added, "He is not going to be back in this series; this is a rehab that's gonna go at least one month; it could be two months of rehab."

In the regular season, the Heat registered a +214 point differential with the five-time All-NBA selection on the court. That figure plummetted to -89 with him off the floor. 

But as Celtics' head coach Joe Mazzulla noted on the eve of Game 1 while discussing how Miami adapts without its star forward, "anytime someone's out, other guys are going to take on the responsibility of playing, so their DNA is still the same – their team might look a little bit different, but their DNA is still the same."

Still, the defending Eastern Conference champions were already underdogs this time around. Butler's absence extending the duration of this series steepens the challenge of prevailing in a best-of-seven against the team with the most talented top six in the NBA.

Further Reading

The Keys to Kristaps Porzingis Containing Bam Adebayo and What to Watch for in Game 2

Celtics Bench Stars in Its Role in Game 1 Win vs. Heat: 'An Identity of Our Team'

Jayson Tatum Discusses First-Career Playoff Triple-Double: 'A Beautiful Game'

Celtics Protect the Parquet in Dominant Display in Game 1 vs. Heat

Kristaps Porzingis Makes Clear What Celtics' Mindset is Entering Playoffs

How do the Heat Adapt Without Jimmy Butler? Joe Mazzulla Weighs in

'I Knew It': Jaylen Brown Discusses Celtics Drawing Heat in Round 1

Brad Stevens Addresses Potential Extension with Derrick White

Celtics Embracing Challenge to Go Beyond Most Talented

Jayson Tatum Opens Up About Sacrificing in Celtics' Title Pursuit: 'It's a Process'

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.