The Miami Heat got trounced by the Boston Celtics on Monday night.
Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals was a blowout win for Boston, evening the series 2-2.
In the end, the Celtics secured a 102-82 win at home and the Heat looked totally dismantled again and again throughout the game.
It was alarming to see the Heat play so poorly but it was even more surprising to see lead star Jimmy Butler be so limited by the Celtics.
Butler put up only 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 assist.
Those aren’t numbers you expect from Butler in 27 minutes of playtime.
FOX analyst Skip Bayless had a theory about why Butler was such a mess on Tuesday night.
On Twitter, he let his feelings be known:
Just a hunch: Something is going on with Jimmy Butler beyond his knees. He occasionally tries to score but mostly makes an exaggerated show of not even looking for his shot & forcing weird passes to the perimeter. He has a history of internal issues. But … just speculating.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 24, 2022
“Just a hunch: Something is going on with Jimmy Butler beyond his knees. He occasionally tries to score but mostly makes an exaggerated show of not even looking for his shot & forcing weird passes to the perimeter. He has a history of internal issues. But…just speculating.”
Is Bayless looking into the situation too much or is he onto something?
Banged Up Butler
Butler and the Heat have said that the star player is suffering some knee issues right now but he has been trying to play through them.
Some people feel that’s what caused Butler’s bad night.
But Bayless goes beyond that and says that there is another issue dwelling inside him.
If there really is something bigger bothering Butler, you can’t blame him for attempting to push it aside for the good of his team.
The Heat are very close to making the NBA Finals and they need all of their players in fine form to get there.
Unless the doctors give him an ultimatum, you can expect Butler to keep himself in all the games moving forward no matter how he feels.
NEXT: Tyler Herro Comments On His Injury Status