Jimmy Butler status remains questionable ahead of Game 3 vs. Knicks / News - Basketnews.com

Jimmy Butler missed Game 2 against the Knicks with a sprained right ankle.

Credit: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con/Scanpix Credit USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con/Scanpix

On Friday, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Jimmy Butler (ankle sprain) worked out with the team, but they won't update his status until much closer to tipoff.

Jimmy Butler

Team:Miami HeatPosition:SF, SGAge:33Height:201 cmWeight:100 kgBirth place:Houston, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Overall, though, Spoelstra refuses to tip his hand on Butler's status.

"No update. … I'm not going to get into all the minutiae of it," Spoelstra said. "When we find out how he is feeling on Saturday, we'll let you know. That's what the deal is."

Butler missed Game 2 of the series — a 111-105 win for the New York Knicks — because of the ankle, which he sprained with about 5 minutes left in Miami's Game 1 victory at Madison Square Garden.

It was only the fourth game Butler has missed since the last week of January, and two of those were the final two games of the regular season with the Heat locked into the play-in tournament at that point.

Heat guard Kyle Lowry indicated that he wouldn't be surprised if Butler tries to play.

"I know how competitive he is," Lowry said. "I would be optimistic, but who knows? Honestly, we've got to go day by day with Jimmy, so we'll see what happens on Saturday at 3:30."

In the six playoff games so far this season, Butler's averaging the league-best 35.5 points on 59% shooting, with 6.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.

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