Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler. Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Jimmy Butler propels Heat to Game 2 win over Hawks

Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Vincent Frank | Last updated 4/19/22

One of the better two-way players in the NBA, Miami Heat wing Jimmy Butler scored 30-plus points just eight times during the 2021-22 regular season.

Boasting an elite mid-range game and solid defense, the one thing Butler isn’t known for is scoring a ton of points. He has yet to average 24 points in any of his first 11 NBA seasons.

Just don’t tell that to the overmatched Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. With Atlanta looking to overcome a disastrous Game 1 loss, the team played pretty good basketball through 3.5 quarters. In fact, it was within three points with just over three minutes remaining after Bogdan Bogdanovic nailed a three.

That’s when Jimmy Butler went into full-scale take over mode, adding to his legacy in South Beach. The six-time All-Star scored seven consecutive points within a two-minute span to give Miami a 10-point lead and a stranglehold on the series. This included a dagger three from Jimmy Buckets with 1:36 remaining.

JIMMY BUTLER FOR 3 ON TNT.

HE'S GOT 45. pic.twitter.com/m9o96xXMdu
— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2022

To put this shot into perspective, Butler hit a total of 27 three-pointers while shooting 23% from distance in 57 regular-season games. He’s shooting a mere 24% from long range in his three seasons with the Heat.

When all was said and done Tuesday evening in South Beach, Butler had recorded a playoff career-high 45 points on 15-of-25 shooting in Miami’s 115-105 win. He also hit 4-of-7 from distance, creating grunts of concern from Eastern Conference rivals in the process.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

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