Heat's Jimmy Butler Says 'Nobody Cares' if Ankle Injury is Fully Healed or Not

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat are gearing up for an NBA Finals matchup against the Denver Nuggets, but questions still remain about the veteran's ankle.

Butler suffered a sprained ankle during Miami's Eastern Conference semifinals victory over the New York Knicks, and he was asked Wednesday if the ailment was still hampering him leading into the biggest series of the year.

"Nobody cares. You don't, either," Butler said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. "I'm still expected to do my job at a high level if I take the floor, which I will. We're going to be OK. We're going to get the job done, bum ankle or not."

While Butler seemingly acknowledged that his ankle isn't fully healthy, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel noted that the veteran "declined to take further questions" about the ailment on Wednesday.

Butler sprained his ankle with around five minutes remaining in Miami's Game 1 victory over New York on April 30. He then missed a Game 2 loss to the Knicks on May 2 before returning to the lineup for Game 3 on May 6.

If Butler's ankle injury has been bothering him down the stretch, it hasn't been very noticeable.

Since Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks, Butler is averaging 24.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.2 steals while shooting 41.9 percent from the floor and 29.0 percent from deep.

During the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, Butler averaged 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.6 steals in seven games while shooting 42.0 percent from the floor and 34.8 percent from beyond the arc en route to being named Eastern Conference Finals MVP.

Butler was particularly impressive in Miami's Game 7 blowout victory over the Celtics, finishing with 28 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Aside from Butler, Miami has also received strong performances from its supporting cast this postseason, including Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent, who are each averaging at least 13 points per game.

The Heat will face their biggest challenge yet in Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets, and Butler will need to continue performing at a high level for Miami to capture its first championship since 2013.

Game 1 between the Heat and Nuggets is set for Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Ball Arena in Denver.