The Miami Heat(0-1) face off against the Chicago Bulls(1-0) on Friday night for the final spot in the East for the playoffs.
The Chicago Bulls came in ninth place, while the Miami Heat came in eighth. While the Bulls have more injuries than the Heat, Miami is dealing with a significant injury for their starter, Jimmy Butler. Not having him in this game, and in future games, if they win, could take away their chances of a playoff run.
Which team can you see winning this crucial game?
Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls Injury Report
Miami Heat
Players | Injury | Status |
Duncan Robinson | Back | Out |
Terry Rozier | Neck | Out |
Jimmy Butler | MCL | Out |
Josh Richardson | Shoulder | OFS |
Miami does not have a massive list of injuries. Both Terry Rozier and Duncan Robinson have been in and out for a few weeks now. It has not been a major issue for the team. However, the loss of Jimmy Butler will be a major problem. Butler is the lead scorer for the Heat alongside Tyler Herro, so his absence is serious.
If Miami does move on after this game, they would go on to face a very strong Boston Celtics team. With Butler missing multiple weeks, he would be missing in action for those crucial games.
Updates:
Chicago Bulls
Players | Injury | Status |
Ayo Dosunmo | Quad | GTD |
Julian Phillips | Foot | Out |
Andre Drummond | Ankle | GTD |
Alex Caruso |
Ankle | GTD |
Onuralp Bitim | Eye | OFS |
Lonzo Ball | Knee | OFS |
Patrick Williams | Foot | OFS |
Zach LaVine | Foot | OFS |
Chicago is dealing with a pretty long list of injuries. The newest to the list is Alex Caruso. Unfortunately, in his game against the Atlanta Hawks, his teammate Andre Drummond tripped over him. This led to Caruso injuring his ankle and being removed from the game.
The Bulls have also been missing two of their best players, Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball. However, they have managed to push forward without them for basically the whole season.
Updates:
Can the Heat Win Without Butler?
Outside of Butler, Miami has some great weapons. The main ones would be Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. In their game against Atlanta, Herroo managed to put up 25 points. However, Adebayo only gave the team 10. Without Butler, he will need to score more.
Yes, Miami can win this game even with their important injuries. Although, one has to remember that Chicago is playing with a lot more out and has still managed to stay strong for the last few weeks. It will be a tight game.
For More Great Content
Elizabeth is an avid watcher of all things sports. However, the Boston sports teams will always be her number one. Follow her on X @edellapiana1 .
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.