Heat's Jimmy Butler Downplays Injury After Finals Loss to Nuggets: 'My Ankle Is Fine'

After the Miami Heat were defeated by the Denver Nuggets in Monday's Game 5 of the NBA Finals, star swingman Jimmy Butler refused to allow his health to be an excuse for the loss.

According to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, Butler was asked after the game how much the sprained ankle he suffered in the second round limited him as the playoffs went on, and he responded: "Zero. My ankle is fine."

Butler led Miami with 21 points in Monday's 94-89 loss, but he didn't look like himself throughout the game. He shot just 5-of-18 from the field in 41 minutes of action and didn't make his presence felt until late in the fourth quarter with some key baskets that helped the Heat briefly take the lead, but it obviously wasn't enough.

The 33-year-old pretty much carried Miami on his back throughout the postseason, but he visibly ran out of gas in the Finals against Denver. During the five-game series, Butler averaged 21.6 points on 41.3 percent shooting and 36.8 percent from beyond the arc. His performance was a far cry from the player who powered the Heat past the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.

While Butler's play on Monday left much to be desired, he wasn't the only Miami player to struggle. No player on the team shot 50 percent or better from the field. Star center Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 12 rebounds but shot 9-of-20 and faded down the stretch. Veteran point guard Kyle Lowry had 12 points off the bench on 4-of-13 shooting.

Now, the Heat have to turn their attention to reloading in the offseason to try to make another run to the Finals next year. Miami will have some crucial decisions to make to build a roster that can contend for a championship.