Jimmy Butler was reluctant to accept the “Playoff Jimmy” moniker, even after one of the most remarkable postseason performances in Heat history, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Butler set a franchise record with 56 points and led an incredible comeback Monday night to give Miami a 3-1 lead in its series with the top-seeded Bucks.
Butler was 19-of-28 from the field and 15-of-18 from the foul line as he tied Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Charles Barkley for the fourth-highest point total ever recorded in the playoffs. He’s now the leading scorer in this year’s postseason at 36.5 PPG.
“I love the competitive aspect of (the playoffs),” Butler said. “This is where all the best players, they show up and they show out. I’m not saying I’m one of those best players; I just want to be looked at as such. I want to do everything for my team to win, along with everybody on this roster. I think (team president Pat Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra) wanted me here for a reason. I feel like this is part of that reason.”
Holding a 12-point lead with 6:08 left to play, Milwaukee was on the verge of evening up the series before Butler took over. He scored or assisted on 22 of the Heat’s final 30 points and personally outscored the Bucks 13-8 over the final five minutes of the game.
Milwaukee used seven different defenders to try to control Butler, Collier adds, but he was able to make 16-of-21 shots that were classified as contested.
“When he gets in that zone, he’s just such a killer,” Kevin Love said. “Lions like to hunt, man. They make their kill, and they keep hunting. That’s what he does. He’s got a huge heart. He wants to see us win. He doesn’t want to make it about him; he just wants to go out there and get the job done.”
There’s more from Miami:
- The Heat could use another scorer to help Butler, but their salary structure for next season makes that difficult, per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Butler will earn $45.1M in 2023-24, and the team has close to $90M committed to Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry. Unless Miami can unload some of that salary, the need for Butler to carry the offense is unlikely to change.
- Victor Oladipo has remained in good spirits despite his latest knee injury, Winderman adds in another Sun-Sentinel story. Spoelstra addressed the media Monday for the first time since Oladipo was diagnosed with a torn left patellar tendon that will require surgery. “He said, ‘Don’t shed any tears for me, I’m going to get through all of this,’” Spoelstra said. “That human side, we keep on talking about, when you see how much he’s been able to go through and over time, you just naturally are kind of rooting for him these last three years. But he will. … He has all of convinced he’s going to get through this and he will find a way. He has that kind of a fortitude.”
- Oladipo’s injury has resulted in a greater role for Haywood Highsmith, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The third-year small forward was the first player Spoelstra used off the bench Monday night.
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