Jimmy Butler

Former Philadelphia 76ers star Jimmy Butler explodes to lead the Miami Heat over the Boston Celtics.

Miami is now three wins away from their second NBA finals appearance in three seasons with Butler at the helm. The one that got away continues to haunt the Philadelphia 76ers. Butler continues to take his game to another level when the time calls for it and it’s something that Philadelphia has been missing since his departure in 2019.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler put on a performance for the ages in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, a key reason why the Boston Celtics find ...

"It just so happened I scored 40, but if I scored 40 and lose, I'm gonna be really ticked off." "I don't do this to score 40 points, I play the way that I play to win," Butler said following the game. Amazingly, none of Butler's 41 points came off 3-pointers.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler was given every opportunity to gloat after his 41-point performance in Tuesday's victory against the Boston Celtics in Game ...

"I do what I do for my family, for my people, for my organization and for my teammates. I know why I do what I do." "I don't do this to score 40 points.

The Celtics controlled the first half, but Jimmy Butler and the Heat dominated the second and cruised to a comfortable Game 1 win.

Lose again on Thursday and they head home down 0-2 to the No. 1 seed, and climbing out of that hole would be a tall order. In the second half, the Celtics looked worn down, like a team that had played an emotional Game 7 two days before in another city. Those stops turned into quick offense on the other end, and the Heat started the second half on a 22-2 run, finishing with 39 points in the frame. They are the guys who tend to calm nerves and settle the team when an opponent makes a run. Butler finished the game with 41 points, getting to the free throw line 18 times. Then came the second half and Jimmy Butler leading a resurgent Miami squad.

Jimmy Butler has always needed a certain amount of tension to be at his best, and he found it in Game 1 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.

Some thought this would be the end of the Heat’s run, and perhaps even Butler in Miami. The more Butler gets written off, the stronger he gets. You can’t win without me,” and he was right again: Minnesota wasn’t back in the playoffs until this season when they replaced their entire leadership team from Butler’s stay a few years back. When he helped eliminate Embiid, Harris, James Harden, and the rest of the 76ers in the second round of these playoffs, he yelled “Tobias Harris over me?” as he walked through the tunnel. Butler told the Bulls it was him or Hoiberg. They chose Hoiberg. Butler wasn’t going to forget it. The Finals produced an image of Butler that became a meme and also serves as an indelible image of his rise into a star. To Chicago’s brain trust, this meant Butler wasn’t good enough to be the best player on a contender. Butler didn’t break into the Bulls’ rotation until his second season with the team, and once he did, he almost never left the floor. The Chicago Bulls saw enough in him to take him No. 30 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft. At the time, it would thought that the Butler pick would be a hit if he could eventually take Ronnie Brewer’s spot in the rotation as a backup wing. Instead, Butler bet on himself to get a better deal the next summer. When the lights are the brightest and the stakes are the highest, Butler has a singular ability to will his team to victory. He did it in 41 minutes while being a game-high +25 on the night.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum has already dueled with Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2022 postseason, but Jimmy Butler proved why he's a whole ...

He's averaging 28.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.1 assists this postseason and deserves to be mentioned among the NBA's best players. "I think that's the style of basketball I like to play." Butler dominated on both ends of the floor, and often at Tatum's expense.

Most NBA stars like to fly. Jimmy Butler likes “banging into people” and seeing who will quit first.

And he was able to produce and put us in a position to feel comfortable to be able to win this game.” Herro, with dark sunglasses, a cap plopped on his head and a sleeveless shirt, looked as though he took his cues from the NBA player fashion starter kit. I think that’s the style of basketball I like to play.” Far removed from the bluster of Miami’s Big Three, Butler’s version of the Heat and its rock ’em, sock ’em style of play have already made a Finals appearance during his first season in 2019-20. As the only lottery-pick talent in the Dallas Mavericks’ rotation, Doncic has carried his team to the Western Conference finals. “Gritty, dog-like, worried about getting stops instead of worried about getting buckets.” It’s no coincidence the Heat was the only squad among the last eight remaining playoff teams without a player who earned a single vote for MVP honors. He shrugged when a reporter began a question by ticking off his numbers in the Heat’s opening win over the Boston Celtics: 41 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks. He doesn’t shoot threes, making him an outlier in today’s NBA. Since arriving in Miami, Butler, 32, has scaled back his game from the perimeter. “I was 0 for 2 from three,” Butler said after Game 1. And, possibly for popularity reasons, this moment was just as important as the game, because an audacious outfit in front of the cameras or a saucy quote served up to reporters would only brighten a star’s glow over the next day’s news cycle. And in walked Butler, clothed in a hoodie. His most earnest sound bite: something about planning not to shoot a three-pointer in Game 2 on Thursday night.