We may not get to see Miami’s romantic basketball in the playoffs this year.

Miami Heat ace Jimmy Butler is expected to be sidelined for several weeks with a knee injury, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Monday (Nov. 18).

The Heat, who finished the regular season as the eighth seed in the East, faced off against Philadelphia for the seventh seed on Dec. 18, but were upset.

But the loss was more painful than a loss. Butler suffered a knee injury during the game. Fearing a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury, 먹튀검증 Butler reportedly underwent further tests, including an MRI.

The fears were realized.

According to reports, Butler suffered a medial collateral ligament injury and is expected to miss the next few weeks.

After losing the seventh-seeded game against Philadelphia on Dec. 18, Miami will face Chicago on Dec. 20 for the eighth seed. If they lose, their season is over.

Butler will miss the most important games of the season. Tyler Hiro, Bam Adebayo, and Hakeem Jr. will have to step up, but the loss of Butler, their ace and moral compass, will be devastating.

Butler, who arrived in Miami in a sign-and-trade deal in the summer of 2019, led the Heat to the 2020 Finals runner-up spot and the 2023 Finals runner-up spot. In the 2023 playoffs, the Heat repeated the “Miracle of the 8th Seed” by knocking off championship favorite Milwaukee in the playoffs and continuing their rapid march to the Finals. Miami’s romantic basketball has never failed to impress NBA fans.

This year, the Heat finished eighth in the East and made it to the play-in tournament, but the memories of last year’s season had left many with high hopes for Miami’s romantic basketball in the playoffs.

But Butler’s sudden long-term departure threatened to end Miami‘s season before it had a chance to showcase its romantic basketball.