Butler out for Heat vs. Hawks due to knee inflammation; Herro returns

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler surfaced on the team’s injury report ahead of Sunday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks at American-Airlines Arena and was ruled out two hours before tipoff due to right-knee inflammation.

Butler had not missed time due to injury since missing two games in December due to a sprained right ankle. He then missed 10 games in January due to NBA health and safety protocols.

Coach Erik Spoelstra said pregame it became clear at the morning walkthrough that Butler likely would be unable to go.

“He went through shootaround today and it didn’t respond the way he wanted it to and we just want to be proactive about it,” Spoelstra said. “He’ll be day to day from here.”

Spoelstra said there was not a specific moment that created the injury.

“In a season like this,” he said, “with so much news about COVID, there can be other basketball-related minor things. And that’s what this is.”

Elsewhere on the Heat injury report, guard Tyler Herro returned, after missing the previous three games due to a hip contusion sustained in the victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.

“He’s put in some really solid days,” Spoelstra said. “I was able to watch his workout [Saturday], much different than it was two days ago, where he was a little bit limited. He had full mobility.

“And the most important thing was how did he respond this morning at shootaround, and he was able to go through the full shootaround.”

Center Bam Adebayo, who has not missed time due to injury this season, was listed as probable with left-knee tendinosis, ultimately remaining in the mix against the Hawks.

Remaining out for the Heat were Avery Bradley (calf ) and Meyers Leonard (knee).

Spoelstra said dealing with adversity has become the 2020-21 norm.

“That is the one silver lining about this season,” he said. “I mentioned it before, if there’s any team in any locker room, a group of guys that can handle this season, and this type of unpredictability and handling adversity, it’s this group.

“There’s been a lot of things that none of us had any kind of experience in all of our careers. Our guys have handled it admirably. And that’s how you get better.”