Jimmy Butler scored 18 in Heat’s 130–110 loss to Nuggets, returning from 7-game suspension

On By Littum

Jimmy Butler scored 18 points in his return to the Miami Heat lineup and played 33 minutes in a 133-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

Friday marked the end of Butler’s seven-game suspension, but his future with the franchise remains unclear. Fans inside the Kaseya Center gave Butler a mixed reception when his name was announced during pregame introductions.

Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 30 points and Nikola Jokić had a triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Denver improved to 25-16 with the win and held on to the No. 4th place in the Western Conference standings.

For Miami, Tyler Herro scored 22 points, followed by 16 points and 11 rebounds from Bam Adebayo. The Heat are now 20-20 on the season, falling a half game behind the Detroit Pistons to No. 9 in the east.

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said before Friday’s game that he was only interested in basketball-related matters and believed the players would perform as those “complexities” surround the team.

“We work in a league of complexity,” Spoelstra said, via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “We’re in an unusual place right now, but really everything it is is complex, and we fully plan to operate within that complexity. It’s my job to prepare this team and get it ready to play at a high level level and that’s what I do that’s what the plan is. My methods of doing that are really not for you. You’re looking for drama.

“And as for silly questions like, ‘What’s the temperature in the room?’ or ‘How’s everyone doing?’ It just sounds so dramatic. We’re professionals, we’re ready for tonight’s game, and that’s all that matters. We’re looking forward to getting back on the road for a while, so we’re looking forward to it us to get this thing tipped.”

Reports circulated prior to Butler’s return that the team considered extending his suspension, but it never materialized. With his imminent return, Butler built up the hype for his first game since Jan. 2.

Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, released a statement Friday night that mimicked Michael Jordan’s two-word announcement on his return to the NBA in 1995: “I’m back.”

Continuing the theme, Butler posted several photos of himself on social media wearing the Chicago Bulls’ No. 45, which Jordan wore when he came back.

The last time Butler was on the floor with the Heat, he scored nine points with four assists against the Indiana Pacers in 27 minutes.

After the game, he told reporters, “I want my joy back” and said it probably wouldn’t happen in Miami. The team suspended Butler the next day for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team.”

Tensions between Butler and the Heat became public after Miami was eliminated from the NBA playoffs by the Boston Celtics. Butler missed the entire five-game series with a knee injury suffered during a play-in loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He annoyed team president Pat Riley by saying that Miami would have defeated the Celtics if he had been able to play.

Butler’s real problem with Miami is that he wants a contract extension, looking for one a maximum extension of two years, $113 million. However, the Heat are not interested in extending Butler, fueling the veteran’s discontent and preference to be traded.

Miami next hosts the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, while the Nuggets wrap up their two-game Florida swing against the Orlando Magic.