Apr 24, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) defends against the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter during game four of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at State Farm Arena. Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Jimmy Butler's 36 points lead Heat past Hawks without Kyle Lowry

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 4/24/22

Miami Heat fans learned prior to tip-off on Sunday that they'd be without starting point guard Kyle Lowry for Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. Thanks in large part to Jimmy Butler, Miami was able to withstand the loss of Lowry and pick up a 110-86 win to go ahead of Atlanta in the best-of-seven set, 3-1.

Jimmy Butler wreaked havoc on defense, picking off 4 steals to go along with his 36-point double-double to power the @MiamiHEAT to the 3-1 series lead! #HEATCulture

Jimmy Butler: 36 PTS (12-21 FGM), 10 REB, 4 AST
Bam Adebayo: 14 PTS, 8 REB

Game 5: Tue. 7pm/et on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/sbWof0lnFI
— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2022

The eighth-seeded Hawks held a slim 26-25 lead on the top-seeded Heat after one quarter on Sunday, before the visitors took control with a dominant second frame that saw them outscore their opponents 30-15.

All five Miami starters scored in double figures while just three total Atlanta players surpassed 10 points. In the loss, De'Andre Hunter scored a team-high 24 points on nine-for-13 shooting (four-for-six on three-pointers), while Kevin Knox put in 12 points in four minutes off the bench on four-for-six shooting, with all of his field goal attempts coming from distance.

Hawks point guard Trae Young struggled again, scoring just nine points on three-for-11 (three-for-10 on three pointers) in a team-high 36 minutes. Young also added five assists but had five turnovers as well.

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