Jimmy Butler taking leave of absence from Heat because of a death in his family
The Celtics held on to grab a tight 110-106 win on Sunday afternoon in Miami
Jimmy Butler is taking a leave of absence from the Miami Heat to deal with a death in his family.
Butler missed the Heat's 110-106 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday as a result. The team announced his leave in a statement just before the game was set to tip at the Kaseya Center.
"Jimmy Butler has been granted a leave of absence as he deals with the death of a family member," the statement reads. "Jimmy and his family ask for privacy at this point in time as they navigate this loss. Updates will be given when appropriate."
The Heat didn't provide further details nor did they offer a timeline for Butler's return.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics in the four-point win, and nearly had a triple-double in the process. He finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Kristaps Portingiz added 25 points and nine rebounds, and Jaylen Brown finished with 20 points. They shot nearly 51% from the field as a team, and now hold a 41-12 record.
Tyler Herro led the Heat in Butler’s absence. He had 24 points and shot 10-of-21 from the field. Bam Adebayo added 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Caleb Martin finished with 15 points.
Butler is averaging 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 50% from the field and a career-high 44% from 3-point distance this season. The Heat now hold a 28-25, good for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. They have games against the Milwaukee Bucks (Tuesday), Philadelphia 76ers (Wednesday) and New Orleans Pelicans (Friday) this week.
