Jimmy Butler ACL Tear Rocks Heat in Warriors Win

Jimmy Butler suffered a season ending torn ACL in Monday night’s game in Golden State’s win over Miami, a diagnosis confirmed to ESPN’s Anthony Slater by Butler’s agent Bernie Lee after an MRI. Butler kept his humor, posting a "general soreness" meme and saying he’ll "be back before you know it." The loss reshuffles the short term landscape for Miami and gives opponents pause at a moment when Golden State has won six of seven. Merlin sees a sudden weather shift. The league recently moved away from vague injury tags like "general fatigue," so Butler’s public quip stands out more than usual. Miami now needs new leaders and role players to rise, while Golden State could ride its momentum unless the Heat find an answer.