Jimmy Butler leaves Heat’s 104–97 loss to Thunder with 1st quarter illness

Miami: The Heat faced off against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, but things took a turn when Jimmy Butler had to leave the game early. The Heat ended up losing 104–97.

Jalen Williams was on fire, scoring 33 points, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 25 points, helping the Thunder secure their seventh straight win. They were eager to get back home after a long stretch of road games.

Butler left the game with about 4:41 left in the first quarter. At first, it looked like he might have twisted his ankle after stepping on Luguentz Dort’s foot. He’s had some ankle issues this season, missing five games already.

As the Heat called a timeout, Butler walked off with trainers. Before the second quarter started, the team announced he wouldn’t be coming back, but it was due to illness, not an injury.

Rumors started swirling that Butler was dealing with a stomach bug. This raised some eyebrows about whether he should have played at all. Coach Erik Spoelstra said Butler insisted he was good to go.

“If guys say they can go, we’re going right now,” Spoelstra told the media. Butler ended the night with no points and just two assists, which is surprising after his impressive triple-double just a few days earlier.

Even without Butler, the Heat put up a fight. Tyler Herro led the way with 28 points, while Bam Adebayo chipped in 17 points and 10 rebounds, despite needing stitches after a hit to the face.

Adebayo mentioned, “Next man up,” referring to Butler’s exit. They checked on Butler at halftime but knew they had to keep pushing for a win.

Butler’s absence has sparked trade rumors, especially since he’s looking for a contract extension that the Heat might not be willing to give. He didn’t travel to Orlando for the next game, but there’s still a chance he could join the team later.