Jimmy Butler away from Heat after death of family member

The Heat were missing a key piece in their starting lineup Sunday afternoon against the NBA-leading Celtics. Heat star forward Jimmy Butler was out because of what the team listed as personal reasons.

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The Heat were missing a key piece in their starting lineup Sunday afternoon against the NBA-leading Celtics.

Heat star forward Jimmy Butler was out because of what the team listed as “personal reasons.”

Butler had also missed practice Friday and Saturday with excused absences.

“Jimmy Butler has been granted a leave of absence as he deals with the death of a family member,” Butler’s agent Bernie Lee said in a statement issued by the Heat prior to their 110-106 loss. “Jimmy and his family ask for privacy at this point in time as they navigate this loss. Updates will be given when appropriate.”

This was Butler’s first missed game in the Heat’s last 13 played and Butler’s 16th missed game on the season.

He averages 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting more than 40 percent both from the field and beyond the arc.

“We’re here for him,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game. “We had two practices without him. We’re grateful we were able to have two practices at this time of the year. We needed to work through some things. Obviously, we’re playing a quality opponent today and we’re looking forward to that.”

Last year, Butler sparked the Heat’s run to the NBA Finals, averaging 26.9 points per game in the postseason as Miami knocked off the Bucks, Knicks and Celtics before falling to the Nuggets in five games.

In their rematch against the Celtics without Butler, the Heat were able to keep it close with Boston, but ultimately the Celtics were too much to handle and the Heat fell 110-106.

Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 26 points and was an assist away from his third career triple-double.

Tyler Herro led the way for Miami with 24 points, and Bam Adebayo added a double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds.

Herro and Adebayo scored the Heat’s final 15 points of the game.

Following the loss, the Heat play two big games before the All-Star break this weekend, traveling to both Milwaukee and Philadelphia.

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