Jimmy Butler

BOSTON — Heat wing Jimmy Butler's status for Game 4 was uncertain after not playing in the second half of Miami's 109-103 win, Saturday at TD Garden.

Both had to go to the locker room but were able to return. “He didn’t have his normal explosive burst (in the first half),” Spoelstra said. Butler missed one game in the Heat’s first-round series with the same injury.

Butler had knee inflammation issues earlier in the playoffs but he's likely to return in Game 4.

Butler would carry much more significance given his offensive ability, but this seems like something he can get over in time for Game 4. Butler has missed a game with this issue in the playoffs earlier, but he’s likely not going to miss Game 4 Monday. Tyler Herro and P.J. Tucker are also going to get minutes at the small forward spot with Butler out.

Kyrie Lowry is back but now Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler may miss some time with an injury. Before the start of the second half of Game 3 in the Eastern ...

8:30 p.m. — — — — The versatile Heat forward finished the half with 13 points on 3-for-8 shooting (37.5 percent), three rebounds, two steals and two assists.

Heat star Jimmy Butler was one of three players to suffer injuries in Miami's Game 3 win over Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.

But he wasn’t as dominant of a scorer in Game 3, scoring eight points on 3-of-8 shooting. However, the Celtics went on a 10-0 run going into halftime and Butler didn’t return following the break. But the Heat appeared to receive even more good news after winning Game 3.

Jimmy Butler won't be able to play in the second half of the Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics Game 3 matchup of the Eastern Conference Finals.

We’ll see if they can keep up the momentum in the third quarter. Clearly, his absence will be felt the rest of the way. Butler finishes Game 3 with a +13 from the floor, after leading the Heat with 20 minutes in the first half.

Along the way, Boston also briefly lost both Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and All-Star Jayson Tatum to injuries in the second half. Smart sprained ...

Tatum left late in the fourth quarter with a shoulder stinger, but after a brief trip to the locker room was also able to finish the game. He remained down when the Celtics got the ball back and went straight to the locker room after play was stopped. He was just 3 of 14 from the field with 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. Smart's injury occurred with 10:57 left in the third quarter. Smart sprained his ankle in the third quarter, but was able to return. The Boston Celtics lost two of their top players, who both returned to do their best Willis Reed impersonations.

The Celtics cruised in Game 2 and now get to play the next two at home in Boston.

In addition to the turnovers, the Celtics got another dud from Tatum, who finished with just 10 points to tie his lowest-scoring game of the postseason. The Heat were terrific to start this game, and deserve a lot of credit for how they started and then managed to hang on down the stretch without Jimmy Butler. That being said, the Celtics could have, and probably should have won this game. Kyle Lowry had not played since Game 4 of the Heat's second-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers due to a hamstring injury, and there was no clear timeline for when he might be back. He nearly matched his total from the first two games in the first quarter of this one, as he had 12 points to help the Heat build an early double-digit lead. By the final buzzer, Adebayo had 31 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals in by far his best performance of the entire postseason. In the first two games of this series, though, he was largely invisible, finishing with a total of 16 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. Late in the game, with Butler out of commission, he stepped up again. He was demanding the ball early and often, and hitting an array of mid-range jumpers and shots around the rim. In the end, Butler's absence during the final two quarters was not enough for Boston to pull off the comeback as Bam Adebayo finished the win with a team-high 31 points to go along with 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals. On the other end of the spectrum, Jaylen Brown was fantastic for Boston finishing the game with 40 points and nine rebounds. Smart and Tatum actually returned to the game, despite the fact that their injuries seemed more severe. The problem only got worse on Saturday, as Smart, Jayson Tatum and Jimmy Butler all made their way to the locker room at various points.

Breaking: The Miami Heat have announced why Jimmy Butler will not return in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday evening.

Hopefully the knee injury to Butler is not serious. Jimmy Butler will not return in Game 3. The Miami Heat announced on Saturday night that their All-Star forward will not return in the second half of Game 3.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Butler would not need another MRI on the knee, but his status for Game 4 on Monday night remains unclear.

"No matter what happens, at the end of the day, if you put your heart out there and play hard, you've got to be happy and just live with the results," Lowry said. So when he said that, I had all the confidence in the world to step up and make a shot." We all found ways to make this our living and found ways to do our job at a high level and to be here and to stay. Kyle Lowry, who hadn't played since reinjuring his left hamstring in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on May 8, chipped in with 11 points and six assists while providing a steady veteran presence on the defensive end. After sitting out the entire second half on Saturday, he was seen greeting teammates in the locker room as they made their way off the TD Garden floor. "They beat us like we stole something in Game 2," Heat center Bam Adebayo said.

Miami Heat swingman Jimmy Butler left Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals because of right knee inflammation after scoring eight points in 20 minutes.

"No matter what happens, at the end of the day, if you put your heart out there and play hard, you've got to be happy and just live with the results," Lowry said. So when he said that, I had all the confidence in the world to step up and make a shot." We all found ways to make this our living and found ways to do our job at a high level and to be here and to stay. Kyle Lowry, who hadn't played since reinjuring his left hamstring in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on May 8, chipped in with 11 points and six assists while providing a steady veteran presence on the defensive end. After sitting out the entire second half on Saturday, he was seen greeting teammates in the locker room as they made their way off the TD Garden floor. "They beat us like we stole something in Game 2," Heat center Bam Adebayo said.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo! reported an injury update on Jimmy Butler. The star guard left Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and ...

- SHOULD THE BUCKS MAKE A TRADE? On Sunday afternoon, the Milwaukee Bucks lost Game 7 to the Boston Celtics, which officially ends their 2021-22 NBA season in the second-round. The Heat won Game 1, and then the Celtics blew out the Heat by 25-points in Game 2. The Boston Celts and Miami Heat played Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night in Boston, and the Heat won the game by a score of 109-103.

The Heat's Jimmy Butler had to leave tGame 3 at halftime due to knee soremess, but there is optimism he will be able to play in Game 4.

Ime Iudoka said after the game he did not have an update on Smart but expected he would play. The Heat hung on to win and Butler’s injury is not considered serious, according to multiple reports after the game. Game 4 is Monday night in Boston.

Miami Heat star guard Jimmy Butler didn't return to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals due to right knee inflammation.

While Butler’s status for Game 4 is unknown at this time, his absence creates a sizable void on both ends of the floor for the No. 1 seed Heat. The veteran wing previously missed Game 5 against the Hawks in the first round due to the same injury; Miami went on to defeat Atlanta, 97–94, to close the series. Butler, 32, did not re-take the floor following halftime after logging 20 minutes in the first half against the Celtics. The six-time All-Star recorded eight points, three rebounds and two assists as Miami blitzed Boston early en route to taking a 62–47 lead into the break, and held on to win, 109–103, after a late Celtics rally cut the deficit to one point. Miami Heat star guard Jimmy Butler didn’t return to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals due to right knee inflammation.