The Chicago Bulls are hoping for the best as All-Star guard Jimmy Butler will be getting a second opinion on his injured left knee. Butler will miss the Bulls game against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday as he visits Dr. James Andrews in Alabama.

The 26-year-old suffered a strained left knee last Feb. 5 in the second quarter of the 115-110 loss against the Denver Nuggets. He was ruled out for three to four weeks, causing him to miss his second All-Star game in Toronto.

Butler returned to the lineup on Saturday's 108-100 win over the Houston Rockets. He played 34 minutes and scored 24 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said that Butler was 100 percent healthy when he played his first game since the injury.

"Jimmy had two really good weeks of going 100 percent on that leg. Had a really good practice the day before, got him out in the game situation, felt great during the game. We monitored him throughout that game on how he was feeling," Hoiberg said.

Pain and Swelling

During last Sunday's practice, Butler participated and felt good but his knee started swelling. The Bulls ruled him out in Chicago's 10-point win over the Milwaukee Bucks as a precaution. Hoiberg also mentioned that even though the swelling was gone on Wednesday, Butler was feeling pain on the back of his left knee.

"The swelling has gone down. The swelling's pretty much gone now. He's got a little bit of pain on the back of that knee. We just want to be safe with it," the head coach said. He also defended his decision of playing Butler a lot of minutes in his first game back.

The two-time All-Star is set to undergo a third MRI on his left knee in Alabama this Thursday. The 73-year-old Dr. Andrews was also involved in the recovery of another Bulls star, Derrick Rose, and other well-known athletes.

Playoff Hopes in Jeopardy

The Bulls are currently clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. If Butler would miss an additional amount of time, Chicago's postseason hopes are in jeopardy. The Detroit Pistons is essentially tied with the Bulls while the Washington Wizards are not far behind.

The 26-year-old shooting guard is Chicago's best player this season as he averages 22.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. The Bulls should really be careful in handling Butler's injury since it would be devastating to the team and the fans if he suffers a more serious injury.