"Jimmy Butler SOS" - Heat fans beg for injured forward's return after Celtics humiliate Miami in Game 1 of Playoffs

The absence of Jimmy Butler could eventually become the deciding factor for the series between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat. After the Heat forward did not play in Game 1 and Boston romped 114-94 in the TD Garden, Miami fans are getting desperate.

Jayson Tatum and the Celtics led the Heat by 32 points at the end of the third quarter.

Unlike the regular season, when the Heat maintained a good record even in the absence of Jimmy Butler, his absence in the postseason is glaring. Butler is known for his superhuman performances in the postseason, and Heat fans clearly missed him.

One of the fans tweeted:

"Jimmy Butler SOS, we need you dawg."

Alluding to how important winning Game 2 on Wednesday is for the Heat, one fan wrote that it would be too difficult for the Heat to win. Vizions wrote:

"No Butler no Rozier it will be difficult but Game 2 is a must win or season over."

Alluding to how the Miami Heat performed in Game 1, rrr wrote:

"Jimmy is really the only dog y’all got lmao."

"Miss Jimmy," Razmus wrote.

One Boston Celtics fan trolled Miami:

"Heat culture got nothing on us."

One fan made a meme expressing Butler's frustration.

When will Jimmy Butler return?

Jimmy Butler’s injury in the play-in tournament on Wednesday was perhaps the worst development for the Miami Heat going into the playoffs. With how he has willed his team against the best teams in the league in the playoffs, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra's squad seems to be eating on an empty plate.

Butler injured his MCL in the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers. With the game tied at 22-22 and just over four seconds remaining in the first quarter, Butler received a long pass in transition. After a pump fake, Butler attempted the shot but came down with severe pain while suffering an MCL sprain. Depending on the severity of the sprain, Jimmy Butler could be out for several weeks.

A Grade 1 MCL sprain takes from one week to two weeks to recover. A Grade 2 sprain can keep the player out for over a month.

In either case, the Heat have to play against the Celtics without the first few games of the opening series. Without him and considering how Game 1 went, there's a high chance that the Heat won’t survive the series.

Last season, Jimmy Butler powered the Miami Heat past the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. This season, it seems like the Celtics are going all the way to the finals.