For the first time since leaving the court in the first quarter of the Dec. 20 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Heat forward Jimmy Butler is expected to rejoin the team when it practices

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler missed Thursday's thrilling victory against the Orlando Magic. Heat fans were hoping to see Butler return to the floor Saturday versus the Atlanta Hawks, but he is ruled out with return-to-competition reconditioning.

Saturday’s game against the Hawks marks the start of a back-to-back set for the Heat. Miami will close its three-game trip on Sunday against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center, with Butler’s status for that game also up in the air.