Jimmy Butler Swollen Ankle Is 'Baseball-Sized'; No Knicks Apology to Heat from Josh Hart

Jimmy Butler is now in doubt for Tuesday's Game 2, as the Knicks certainly don't wish an injury on anybody ... but also don't feel the need to apologize for what was clearly an accidental collision.

What was Josh Hart supposed to do? What was Josh Hart supposed to say?

The Miami Heat won Sunday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semis against the "lackadaisical'' New York Knicks, 108-101, and to Miami's credit did so after a collision that left their best player, Jimmy Butler, in pain as he limped around for the rest of the day ...

And is now in doubt for Tuesday's Game 2, as the Knicks certainly don't wish an injury on anybody ... but also don't feel the need to apologize for what was clearly an accidental collision.

“Jimmy turned his ankle. I don’t know what you guys want me to say about that,” Hart explained with a shrug, via the New York Post. “Playing defense, obviously there was a collision. 

"Unfortunately, he turned his ankle. You guys seen the play.”

It it unfortunate for Butler, who has been playing at another level in having lifted the underdog Heat to a first-round upset of Milwaukee. If Miami is to go up 2-0 in the series, logic would suggest the Heat's superstar - who is getting "'round-the-clock'' therapy for his injury - would have to be ready to go.

But if he's not? As a scary moment a moment as it was to see Butler writhing in pain on the floor ... New York won't apologize for a Game 2 win under any circumstances.

Here’s a look at Butler’s injury as it occurred in the fourth quarter of that game ...

Jimmy Butler came down awkwardly after this collision with Josh Hart:pic.twitter.com/kWBMnUtvTA

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 30, 2023

Butler, a six-time All-Star, has been diagnosed with an ankle sprain. He averaged 37.6 points per game to go along with six assists and 4.8 rebounds in the series against the Bucks, with close-out efforts of 56 points in Game 4 and 42 points in Game 5.

Game 2 of the series is back here at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, and the cruel truth is that fate is to blame for anything that goes wrong with Butler, just as is the case with the Knicks being without Julius Randle with an ankle injury of his own.

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