SALT LAKE CITY — The Miami Heat were without Jimmy Butler for a second consecutive game Saturday, with the veteran forward out against the Utah Jazz with a sprained right ankle.
Butler now has missed nearly three games, sidelined in the first quarter of Wednesday night’s overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and then out for Thursday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, with both games at Staples Center.
He had been listed as questionable Friday and then early Saturday.
“I see he’s making progress,” coach Erik Spoelstra said ahead of Saturday’s game at Vivint Arena. “I don’t have a timeframe for when he’ll be back, but he’s still on this road trip.”
That is not the case with reserve forward Markieff Morris, who returned to South Florida after Thursday’s game.
Morris is dealing with whiplash, the result of his fracas with center Nikola Jokic in Tuesday night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets at the start of this five-game western swing that concludes Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“He’s already been making progress and just felt it was better, just him staying there,” Spoelstra said.
The Heat’s next game after the trip is Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans at FTX Arena.
Questionable going into Saturday night’s game was center Bam Adebayo, who is dealing with swelling in his left knee. Adebayo, however, played through the discomfort, remaining in the starting lineup.
Spoelstra said the problem began when Adebayo bumped knees during a home game two weeks ago.
“And then on this road trip, he hit it again,” Spoelstra said. “He’s padded. But those things can be tender. And then you’re playing 37 minutes a game, jumping, running, sliding. It can get sore.”
Tyler Herro replaced Butler in the starting lineup for the second consecutive game. The first five beyond Adebayo and Herro was rounded out by Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker and Duncan Robinson.
