Miami Heat lost 104-97 at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night at Kaseya Center. It was their second loss in two games as they had to play a major part of the game minus their star forward, Jimmy Butler, who was pulled out early in the first quarter by illness.
Butler seemed to roll his left ankle while fighting for a loose ball with 4:41 remaining in the first quarter. The team announced shortly thereafter that he would not return due to a stomach illness. His loss was a big blow to Miami, as Butler had just delivered a stellar performance with 35 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game against Detroit.
The Heat valiantly fought against the Thunder, which has the NBA’s second-best record and the best defensive rating. Miami was only down three at halftime and did even take a brief lead in the third quarter. However, a 23-9 run by the Thunder late in the third period proved decisive.
Bam Adebayo was also involved in an injury, exiting the game midway through the second half when a fall left a cut above his left eye needing seven stitches. He would reenter the game to score 17 points and collect 10 rebounds, for his 206th double-double of his career.
Tyler Herro stepped up for Butler’s absence, adding a game-high 28 points 12 rebounds, and five assists. In the end, however, 19 Miami turnovers that generated 27 Thunder points killed them.
The Heat will take their turnaround to the Orlando Magic for a Saturday night road game, but Butler’s availability remains questionable as they enter an arduous stretch in their schedule.
“Without Jimmy, you just have to adapt and keep pushing,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We were close, but not quite enough tonight.”
To Read More: Sports