The Miami Heat let a golden opportunity to grab the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs slip away Wednesday night when they squandered a double-digit halftime lead in an eventual one-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at home.
Now, the Heat could be without star forward Jimmy Butler with their season on the line. According to a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Butler is expected to miss multiple weeks with an MCL injury. He played 40 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the 76ers, finishing with 19 points, five assists, five steals and four rebounds.
The Heat were already longshots for a deep playoff run, but those odds could be stretched even further with a Butler sidelined, an elimination game up next and a date with the top-seeded Boston Celtics on deck if they were to grab the No.