Jimmy Butler has been one of the stars of this postseason. The Miami Heat swingman has played great basketball and his team is yet to lose a game in the playoffs after sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the first round and beating the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the second round. Jimmy was inspired, he wanted to win this game and he did so in a great fashion, dropping 40 points on Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Bucks.
Butler knew he was going to have a big night and he was all about it. Before the game, he warned his teammates that things were going to be a little different and he was going to take shots instead of passing the ball.
“Say what you will, but I told my teammates I probably wasn’t going to pass the ball. I made a couple of shots and they said, ‘That’s fine with me,'” Butler told reporters in his postgame interview.
Heat’s Jimmy Butler (playoff career-high 40 points in Game 1 win over Bucks) on his fourth-quarter takeover: “Say what you will, but I told my teammates I probably wasn’t going to pass the ball. I made a couple of shots and they said, ‘That’s fine with me.’” pic.twitter.com/W92baqW2dA
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 1, 2020
Moreover, he encouraged his teammates to win this game, not only on the offense but the defense. They knew they had a big rival in front of them, got to work and earned the 114-105 victory over the #1 seed in the East.
“It’s not just about scoring. It’s about guarding. It’s about making the right play & getting 50/50 balls. I took it up a level in the 4th. If that’s what needs to happen every game, I’ve got to do it,” Butler added.
Jimmy Butler said Heat teammates told him to “win the game” late in Game 1: “It’s not just about scoring. It’s about guarding. It’s about making the right play & getting 50/50 balls. I took it up a level in the 4th. If that’s what needs to happen every game, I’ve got to do it.” pic.twitter.com/ZweCo0Ascf
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 1, 2020
The Heat are seen by several people as the favorite team to win this series. Not only Butler scored 40 points yesterday, but the team also held Giannis Antetokounmpo to just 18 points. They have been great so far and if the Bucks don’t make the right adjustment, they could have the same fate that the Pacers.
