Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler reportedly will play against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday despite dealing with an illness.
Butler missed yesterday’s practice, originally putting his status for Sunday’s game in doubt.
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While Butler will suit up, the Heat received some surprise injury news on guard Terry Rozier.
He has been downgraded to out after previously being expected to play against Dallas.
The Heat (6-7) would love to pick up a win over the Mavericks, especially since Dallas is down star Luka Doncic due to a wrist injury. Dallas did beat the Denver Nuggets on Friday night without Doncic, so this won’t be an easy win for the Heat.
Despite their under .500 record, the Heat are still the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference at this point in the season.
Butler has only appeared in nine of the team’s 13 games, averaging 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 21.4 percent from 3-point range.
Butler has taken a major step back from beyond the arc so far this season. He shot 41.4 percent from 3 in the 2023-24 campaign, 20 percent higher than he’s shooting this season.
The six-time All-Star may be coming off of his best game of the season, as he dropped 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 18. Miami would love a duplicate performance on Sunday against Dallas.
Meanwhile, Rozier missed the win over Philly and apparently isn’t ready to return to action. The veteran guard is averaging 12.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this season while shooting just 38.0 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3.
The Heat will miss Rozier’s shot creation on Sunday, but the former Charlotte Hornets guard is off to a slow start in terms of his efficiency this season. Rozier shot better from the field (42.3 percent) and from 3 (37.1 percent) in 31 games for the Heat last season after he was acquired in a trade with Charlotte.
The Heat and Mavericks are scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. EST from Kaseya Center in Miami.
