Jimmy Butler of Miami Heat says knee feeling better after extended rest

MIAMI — Heat swingman Jimmy Butler is confident he'll be ready for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night as he continues to deal with right knee soreness.

«It's all right,» Butler said after Saturday's practice. «We got another day in between. Get out there, rip and ride. And I know it will be ready to hold up come Monday, but the time off has been great for myself and so many other guys that are nicked up. Everybody's ready to compete.»

Butler sat out Game 5 of the Heat's series-clinching win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, but he looked solid taking jumpers and moving around the floor a little bit after Saturday's practice. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said all the players, a group that included Butler and veteran guard Kyle Lowry, were able to do «a little bit more than [Friday].» Heat guard Tyler Herro said he would be ready for Game 1 after missing Friday's practice while dealing with a cold.

As the Heat continue preparations for the Sixers series, Butler acknowledged that he feels «bad,» for former teammate Joel Embiid. The Sixers center suffered a mild concussion and orbital fracture in the Sixers' series-clinching win over the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 on Thursday night. His availability for this series remains unclear.

«I feel bad for my guy,» Butler said. «Obviously, one of my former teammates, arguably the MVP of this league. And I think I speak for everybody that's a part of this team, we want Jo to play. We want to go up against them at full strength and prove that we can hang with anybody and we can beat anybody. It's a mishap. I hope he recovers well and gets back very, very soon.»

Butler, who spent part of the 2018-19 season with the Sixers after