MRI shows only knee strain for Bulls’ Butler

Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler waves to fans as they applaud him while he is taken off the court after being injured late in the first half of his team’s NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday. AP

Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler was diagnosed with only a left knee strain Saturday (Sunday Manila time), but his timetable for a return to the NBA club will depend on further injury evaluation.

The Bulls announced that an MRI exam performed in Minneapolis confirmed the 26-year-old shooting guard suffered the setback in the second quarter of a 115-110 loss Friday at Denver.

Butler’s response to treatment and further evaluation when he and his teammates return to Chicago will determine the timetable for his return, the Bulls said in a statement.

Butler, the league leader in minutes played this season, leads the Bulls with an average of 22.4 points a game. He also has 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals a game.

Last season’s NBA Most Improved Player, Butler is in his fifth campaign with the Bulls after being the 30th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

At 27-22, the Bulls rank sixth in the Eastern Conference, 1.5 games ahead of Indiana for the final playoff position.