The Christmas Day meeting between the Heat and 76ers won’t be as star-studded as initially believed.
A day after it was announced that reigning MVP Joel Embiid will be unavailable for Philadelphia, Miami announced that reigning Eastern Conference Finals MVP Jimmy Butler would also miss the Christmas Day game due to a calf injury. It will be Butler’s third consecutive absence and his seventh in 30 games this season.
This season, Butler is averaging 21.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and a team-high 4.6 assists per game. The Heat are 14-9 when Butler suits up and 3-3 in his absence.
Here is what we know about Butler’s injury and what it means for Miami moving forward.
MORE: Revisiting Jimmy Butler’s choice to join the Heat in 2019
What is Jimmy Butler’s injury?
Butler’s injury is listed as a strained left calf.
Butler last played on Monday, Dec. 18, seeing 34 minutes of action in a close loss to the Timberwolves. The next day, Butler was unable to participate in practice and was ruled out of Miami’s visit to Orlando on Dec. 20, the first of three straight absences.
WATCH: Follow Jimmy Butler and the Heat all season long on Sling TV
How long is Jimmy Butler out?
While Butler has been ruled out of Miami’s game on Dec. 25, he is reportedly close to returning.
The Heat’s Christmas Day game against the 76ers is the team’s final home game of the calendar year. They’ll then travel west for a five-game trip with stops in San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Phoenix.
Here are Miami’s next five games:
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| Dec. 25 | vs. 76ers | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Dec. 28 | at Warriors | 10 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Dec. 30 | at Jazz | 5 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 1 | at Clippers | 10:30 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 3 | at Lakers | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
Jimmy Butler stats
- 21.5 points per game
- 5.2 rebounds per game
- 4.6 assists per game
- 1.1 steals per game
- 0.4 blocks per game
- 1.8 turnovers per game
- 46.2 percent field goal shooting
- 37.7 percent 3-point shooting
- 87.9 percent free throw shooting