The Miami Heat will now have to wait for MRI results for Jimmy Butler before Friday's game against the Chicago Bulls

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler is considered one of the toughest players in the NBA.

But not even the brave Butler could escape the effects of the knee injury he suffered in the first quarter of Wednesday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Butler played through, but didn't perform as usual after the early, unpleasant fall.

“It felt like I couldn’t do too much, which made the timing of the game and everything else bad,” Butler said. “I hope I'm doing well. I hope I wake up tomorrow and can still carry on. I can’t stay right now, that’s the case.”

Now the Heat will have to wait and see.

Butler finished with 19 points on 5 of 18 shooting in 40 minutes. He will undergo an MRI on Thursday in Miami to determine his playing status for Friday's elimination game against the Chicago Bulls. According to a report from Shams Charania, Butler could be facing an MCL issue.

“It really got stiffer in the second half,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “As the second half went on, it started to limit him a little more… We have no idea. We’ll see when we get back to Miami.”

After reaching the NBA Finals last year, the Heat now have the possibility of missing the postseason. Friday will be even more difficult if Butler is unavailable.

“We’re going to do it the hard way,” Spoelstra said. “That has to be the way now. We will rest, do something good, gather around each other and prepare for Friday. Take on these competitive games again. It will be a tough fight in front of our home fans.”