MIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 24: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat reacts during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Kaseya Center on April 24, 2023 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Jimmy Butler helped the Miami Heat get one win closer to eliminating the No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks after a 56-point performance in Game 5.
No team that has clinched a playoff berth by way of the play-in tournament has ever won a series. Not a single one. But, the No. 8 Miami Heat are one victory away from doing so, at the expense of the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. And it’s all thanks to Jimmy Butler and his historic performance.
On Monday night, Butler scored 56 points down in Miami to help the Heat pick up the 119-114 victory over the Bucks. Butler made 19-of-28 field goal attempts and 15-of-18 shots from the free throw line in the win. That point total is now the fourth-most by a player in a playoff game in NBA history. It is also the most points scored by a Heat player in a playoff game in franchise history.
With this victory, the team now takes a 3-1 series lead and has the chance to close things out in Game 5 on Wednesday, Apr. 26. Let’s take a look at some of the reactions from Butler’s historic performance.
NBA Twitter reacts to ‘Playoff’ Jimmy Butler’s historic Game 4 performance vs. Bucks
The Bucks were seemingly getting a boost with the return of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed Games 2 and 3 after taking a hard fall on his back in the series opening game. Antetokounmpo scored 26 points (12-of-22 from field) and hauled in 13 rebounds for the double-double. Brook Lopez even dropped 36 points (13-of-23 from field). Yet, it wasn’t enough to hold off the red-hot Heat and Butler.
Butler helped put the Bucks away with less than one minute remaining in regulation with a step back shot over Jrue Holiday to give the Heat a 112-109 lead.
With Game 4 in the books, Butler is now averaging 36.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists while posting a 62.8 field goal percentage and a 52.9 three-point percentage.
In his four years with the Heat, he has shown that he can carry the team to deep playoff runs. He led them to the NBA Finals in the Orlando, Fla. bubble in 2020 and the Eastern Conference Finals last year, where they were one win short of making the Finals. Now, he has pushed the heavily-favorited Bucks to the brink of elimination. Heat fans now await to see if Butler has an encore in him after this tremendous showing.
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