Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler to Miss Tuesday's Game Against Boston Celtics

The Miami Heat will be without their star and leader for tonight's matchup with the Boston Celtics. Jimmy Butler was a late addition to the team's injury report and will sit for Tuesday's game with lower back tightness.

Jimmy Butler is OUT tonight for the Heat vs Celtics. He's got lower back tightness.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) January 24, 2023

Butler leads the Heat in scoring with 21.6 points per game this season, but tonight will mark his 14th missed game. He remains on pace for arguably his best season with the Heat: his field goal percentage (.516), true shooting percentage (.624), and points per game (21.6) are all his best marks since joining the team in 2019.

The Heat are 26-22 and sixth in the Eastern Conference standings, but they'll need to be careful over the back half of the season to avoid falling into the dreaded play-in tournament. Butler had appeared in 11 straight games before tonight's absence, so it's possible he was simply due for a rest. So long as his back injury doesn't linger, the Heat should be just fine.

The Heat will host the Orlando Magic this coming Friday.