Jimmy Butler turned up the playoffs heat once again. The Miami Heat star, who played 40 minutes despite an injury, will miss tomorrow’s do-or-die game against the Chicago Bulls. The team officially announced that Butler sustained a right MCL strain and ruled him out via their social handle. In response, Butler issued a 3-word threat, didn’t he? Or what is this ultimatum all about?

Butler took to the comments and wrote, “We throwing hands,” and also tagged Kelly Oubre Jr.’s IG handle. While there is a doubt whether Butler addressed it to the player who injured him or the Bulls, he has visibly tagged the Philly star in his comment. During a fast break transition, he produced a pump fake to dismiss Oubre, instead the 28-year-old fell awkwardly over the Heat star. He fell on the floor and immediately held onto his right knee. Butler seemed to be in grave pain, but he continued to play the rest of the game and scored 19 points.

Jimmy Butler could be a major miss for the Heat in the qualifier game. Notably, it’s a repeat of last year’s 8th spot game. The Miami side had the better of the Bulls with a comfortable 102-91 victory in 2023. Butler and Max Strus combined 62 points to shut down DeMar DeRozan & Co. However, the Heat will have a huge task crossing the line without Jimmy G. Buckets.

Apart from Butler, the Heat has a list of players injured who will miss the game tomorrow: Duncan Robinson (Back), Terry Rozier (Neck), and Josh Richardson (season-ending surgery). On the other hand, the Bulls have a competitive team with a new player peaking at the right time. Coby White, the 24-year-old, may threaten the Heat offensively after impacting the Most Improved Player of the Year Award conversation.

At the same time, the Bulls also have a set of players on their injury list: Alex Caruso (Questionable, ankle), Julian Phillips (Out, foot), Andre Drummond (Questionable, ankle), Ayo Dosunmu (Questionable, quadriceps)

Jimmy Butler and his playoff nature

Last year, Jimmy Butler inhaled the playoff spirit and was on a rampage. After putting the top-seeding Milwaukee Bucks to misery in the first round, the NBA world’s eyes were on Butler & Co. Following that, they defeated the NY Knicks with a walk in the park. Importantly, things became serious when the Boston Celtics almost orchestrated a 3-1 comeback.

In that series, Butler kicked in his fighting spirit alongside a drama with Grant Williams and pulled his team into the Finals. Throughout the journey, Butler engaged in personal battles with various individuals.

Notably, the 34-year-old once was ready for a brawl against a Denver Nuggets teammate. During the 2021-22 season, an ugly fight broke out when Nikola Jokic shoved Heat’s Markieff Morris. Butler immediately pounced on the court and looked to take the beef out of the arena, calling them for a fight.

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Importantly, threats aren’t new for Butler. This year too, just days ago, the Heat veteran didn’t hesitate to send out a warning to the teams in the postseason. “I know what my squad is capable of. And nobody wants to see us in a 7-game series, anyway; we know that.”

Will the Heat clinch the 8th spot and enable another year of playoff Jimmy Butler? Let us know in the comments.