Miami Heat to be without 2 key players Wednesday vs Magic

The Miami Heat will be without Jimmy Butler and Kevin Love for Wednesday night’s game against the Magic in Orlando.

Butler missed practice on Tuesday with a left calf strain that he suffered in Monday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and did not travel with the team. He is considered day-to-day and has not been ruled out for Friday’s home game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Kevin Love will miss Wednesday’s game with a stomach illness. He saw a doctor on Tuesday and there is no timetable on his return.

Both Butler and Love started Monday’s game against the Timberwolves. Butler had played a season-high nine straight games, including both games of a back-to-back set (Dec. 13-14) for the first time this season. This will be his first absence since Nov. 28, when the Heat started Josh Richardson in Butler’s place in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Love, who had come off the bench in 16 of his past 17 games before Monday’s start, could be replaced by Haywood Highsmith or Caleb Martin at power forward.

Kyle Lowry, after missing Monday’s game for rest, will return against the Magic.

The Heat recently got back Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo after extended absences and had been nearing a fully healthy roster (other than reserve point guard Dru Smith, who will miss the season with a knee injury) for the first time this season before afflictions to Butler and Love.