Jimmy Butler News: Productive in Friday's loss

Butler posted 15 points (6-11 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds, five assists and one steal across 37 minutes during Friday's 127-120 loss to Minnesota.

The veteran forward has been managing a nagging knee issue since the beginning of December, but he handled a full workload Friday and made a solid contribution in the box score. Butler had been on a roll prior to his knee acting up Dec. 2 against the Thunder, and he'd been averaging 21.1 points, 6.0 boards, 5.6 assists and 2.0 steals over 32.2 minutes in the 11 appearances before that early exit. If his knee cooperates, Butler should return to that level of production soon enough.