We have got ourselves a series! After getting blown out in Sunday’s Game 1 against the Celtics, the Miami Heat came into tonight’s Game 2 with a sense of urgency. And with their backs against the wall, the Jimmy Butler-less squad responded to the challenge, beating the top-seeded Celtics 111-101. With that, Miami leveled the series 1-1. And even though Butler was 1500 miles away from the game venue, he did not forget to leave his impact on his teammate Tyler Herro’s heroic performance tonight.

Having scored 24 points in tonight’s Game 2 victory, Herro revealed that an injured Jimmy Butler’s text before the series empowered him to take over the game. And he told the world what Jimmy texted him during the postgame interview, “Take the team, lead these guys. Just make every right play, and it’s not all about scoring.” And the 24-year-old delivered in Game 2 amid Butler’s absence due to injury.

From dishing out 14 assists and making his teammates better to hitting six three-point shots from beyond the arc, Herro did everything he could to muscle Miami to victory. And his performance tonight was far better than how he played in Game 1, where he had only 11 points on an inefficient four of thirteen shooting. But Herro was not the only hero in tonight’s win. His teammates put in equal effort, with the remaining four starters combining for an impressive 67 points.

With that, Herro did not forget to acknowledge the Heat’s team effort to get back in the series, as he added, “We lost bad in Game 1 and everybody responded. That’s all you can ask for from a group of guys.”

When will Jimmy Butler return?

Although it is great to see Butler motivating his teammates from a distance, the Heat fans would have loved it more if he was on the court with them. But when exactly will Jimmy Butler return to action? That is a question Miami fans might not like the answer to. According to NBA Insider Shams Charania, even if Miami somehow beats the Celtics in the first round, they might not see Butler on the floor for a long time, maybe throughout the postseason. “He is not going to be back in this series. This is a rehab that’s going to go at least one month, could be two months of rehab.” Charania said.

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Unfortunately, the MCL injury Butler suffered in the play-in game against the Sixers might be more serious than fans expected. And Jimmy is doing everything in his power to return as soon as possible, even starting the rehab process in Miami. But that might not be enough to bring him back early.

With that, Miami will have to rely on other stars like Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo to take charge and do the unthinkable. We know they are capable of making a run to the Finals from the 8 seed, just like they did last year. But they had Jimmy Butler to make that happen. And this year, it might be way more difficult without him. As both teams meet again on Saturday for Game 3 in Miami, it will be interesting to see how Tyler Herro and Co. play at home.