Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Tim Hardaway Jr. (illness) misses practice Friday
    Tim Hardaway Jr. (illness) missed practice on Friday but will join the team in Los Angeles for their game on Sunday.

    Advice: THJ wasn’t able to practice on Friday, but he should be with the team for Game 1. If he doesn’t end up suiting up, Dante Exum and Josh Green will likely see some extra minutes off the bench on the perimeter. Rotoworld Today, 10:21 am
     
  • Dealing with illness
    Hardaway didn't practice Friday due to an illness, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News reports.

    Advice: Hardaway will join the Mavericks in Los Angeles ahead of Sunday's Game 1 versus the Clippers, but his status for that matchup won't be determined until Saturday afternoon. The sharpshooter scored in double figures only twice across eight regular-season appearances in April. Rotowire.com Today, 10:15 am
     
  • Officially has sprained MCL
    The Heat announced Thursday that Butler has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and will miss several weeks, Tim Reynolds of Associated Press reports.

    Advice: Butler suffered his right knee injury late in the first quarter of Wednesday's Play-In Game loss to the 76ers, but he remained in the game down the stretch despite a limp. However, the injury is significant enough to sideline him for multiple weeks, so even if the Heat take down the Bulls on Friday, it seems unlikely that Butler will be in the mix to return during a first-round series against Boston. Jaime Jaquez will likely take on a starting role in Butler's absence, while Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin could also see additional playing time. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:52 pm
     
  • Continues to struggle from deep
    Hield notched seven points (3-8 FG, 1-5 3Pt), six assists and one rebound in 18 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game win over the Heat.

    Advice: Since Philadelphia acquired Hield on Feb. 8, the sharpshooter has averaged 12.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 0.8 steals in 25.5 minutes on 38.4 percent from deep. Hield has struggled to live up to his usual standards in April, as he's averaged 9.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 19.8 minutes, shooting just 35.2 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from three. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 12:48 pm
     
  • Facing multi-week absence
    Butler is expected to be sidelined for several weeks after sustaining an MCL injury to his right knee Wednesday in the Heat's 105-104 loss to the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

    Advice: Butler sustained the injury in the final minute of the first quarter, and while he remained in the game, he was clearly operating at well below full strength and ultimately finished with 19 points (5-18 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT), five assists, five steals and four rebounds in 40 minutes. The Heat will send Butler in for an MRI on Thursday before providing an updated diagnosis of his injury, but the 34-year-old looks safe to count out for Friday's Play-In Tournament matchup with the Bulls, and quite likely, the first round of the playoffs if Miami should advance. Jaime Jaquez has regularly picked up starts when Butler missed time during the regular season, and the rookie first-round pick as well as Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin could all benefit from added minutes Friday. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 6:58 am
     
  • Thnks fr th mmrs: Jimmy Butler out multiple weeks
    Jimmy Butler will be sidelined for multiple weeks after suffering what is feared to be an MCL injury in Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia.

    Advice: Butler suffered the injury in the first quarter of Wednesday’s loss but managed to play the rest of the game. He was seen noticeably grimacing throughout the contest, most notably after a steal and fastbreak dunk. Butler’s absence couldn’t have come at a worse time for Miami. The Heat will play in an elimination game Friday against the Bulls, and the winner will advance to face the Celtics as the No. 8 seed. Without “Playoff Jimmy” on the court, Miami will have to lean more heavily on Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith, Nikola Jovic and Caleb Martin. Rotoworld Yesterday, 6:58 am
     
  • Dealing with possible MCL injury
    Butler is feared to have sustained an MCL injury in his right knee, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: Butler finished out Wednesday's Play-In Tournament game against the 76ers despite sporting a limp in his right leg. While he was reported to be undergoing an MRI on Thursday, Butler's injury could be more serious than initially expected. If it ends up being an MCL injury, it's highly unlikely that Butler will be able to play in Friday's Play-In elimination game. In that scenario, Jaime Jaquez, Haywood Highsmith and Caleb Martin would likely see more minutes. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 8:10 pm
     
  • Shams: Jimmy Butler ‘feared to have MCL injury’
    Jimmy Butler is “feared to have an MCL injury in his right knee”, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

    Advice: Butler was able to play 40 minutes on Wednesday despite suffering a knee injury at the end of the first quarter. He already said that he was planning to get an MRI, and now it appears that there is a chance that he is sidelined for a while. With only two days between games, there should be a clear update given on Thursday. Heat fans will likely be holding their breath until then. Rotoworld Wednesday, 8:10 pm
     
  • Undergoing MRI on knee
    Butler will have an MRI on Thursday after sustaining a right knee injury during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Tournament loss to the 76ers, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports. He played 40 minutes and generated 19 points (5-18 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT), five assists, four rebounds and five steals.

    Advice: Butler appeared to tweak his knee late in the first quarter after being fouled but remained in the game at less than 100 percent, sporting a noticeable limp at times. Butler was seen wearing a protective knee sleeve post-game and will have more testing done Thursday. The Heat will play in a win-or-go-home matchup Friday night, giving Butler very little time to heal. We should know more about the severity of the injury once the MRI results come back. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 7:38 pm