Jimmy Butler Out for Heat vs. Nets Because of Toe Injury

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Brooklyn Nets with a toe injury, the team announced. P.J. Tucker is also out with a knee injury and Kyle Lowry has been ruled out because of personal reasons. 

Injuries have sidelined Butler several times during the 2021-22 season. He missed three games in mid-November with a right ankle sprain before missing four more contests because of a tailbone contusion. 

Butler returned to the lineup on Dec. 6 but reinjured his tailbone and missed eight more games before returning again on Dec. 26. Shortly after, he suffered another right ankle injury on Jan. 3 and didn't return until Jan. 14. The ankle issue kept him out three games.

The veteran is in his third season with the Heat. Miami has made the playoffs in each of his first two seasons there and is on pace to do so in 2021-22. He has been impressive when healthy, averaging 21.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists while shooting 47 percent from the floor and just 19 percent from deep. 

Miami enters Thursday's game at 41-22 and in first place in the Eastern Conference. Despite Butler being in and out of the lineup, the Heat have excelled behind Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo.