Jimmy Butler’s ankle still looked very swollen after Heat advance

Apr 19, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) during game two of the 2023 NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat beat the New York Knicks in six games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and they appear to have done it despite their star player carrying a notable injury for virtually the entire series.

Forward Jimmy Butler badly turned his right ankle in Game 1 of the series, and was not able to play in Game 2 as a result. He returned in Game 3 and played the rest of the series without incident, but clearly was not fully recovered by the end of Game 6.

That was evident from a picture shared by ESPN in which Butler’s right ankle still looked notably swollen.

Jimmy is Eastern Conference bound 😅

(via jimmybutler/IG) pic.twitter.com/VBgtvB6QZQ

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 13, 2023

Butler now gets five days off to rest the ankle before the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. He still averaged 24.5 points per game in the four games he played after suffering the injury, so even if he was limited, he was still very effective.