MIAMI — Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, who started the day second in the NBA in playoff scoring to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, was ruled out of Tuesday night’s Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks at FTX Arena due to right-knee inflammation.
The absence left the Heat without two of their prime weapons, since point guard Kyle Lowry was already missing a second consecutive game with a hamstring strain sustained in the third quarter of Friday night’s Game 3 loss at State Farm Arena.
Butler scored 45 points in the Heat’s previous game at FTX Arena and then scored 36 on Sunday night in the road victory that lifted the Heat to a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference opening-round playoff series.
