Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat made history as the No. 8 seed who went on to beat the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. With that, they become the sixth team to pull off the feat in the NBA.
A quick look at league history shows that the Denver Nuggets who finished as the eighth seed during the 1994 season, upset the top-placed Seattle Supersonics 3-2.
In another instance, the No. 8 New York Knicks defied the No. 1 seeded Heat in the 1999 playoffs, outlasting them 3-2 again. The trend repeated in 2007 when the Golden State Warriors stunned the Dallas Mavericks, while the Memphis Grizzlies did the same to the San Antonio Spurs in 2011.
Soon after, it was the Philadelphia 76ers who beat the Chicago Bulls 4-2 in 2012, one that saw Derrick Rose go down to an injury. Below is a simplified look at the list of teams:
1994 NBA Playoffs: Denver Nuggets beat the Seattle Supersonics 3-2
1999 NBA Playoffs: New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat 3-2
2007 NBA Playoffs: Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 4-2
2011 NBA Playoffs: Memphis Grizzlies beat the San Antonio Spurs 4-2
2012 NBA Playoffs: Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls 4-2
2023 NBA Playoffs: Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks 4-1
Despite injuries to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyler Herro, it was the Heat who prevailed with Jimmy Butler leading from the front, including pouring in a monster 56 points in Game 4. He then had 42 in the overtime Game 5 to trounce the Bucks.
Can The Miami Heat Make A Deeper Run In The Playoffs?
After pulling off a heist, the next question is whether the Heat can make a deeper run in the playoffs. Much of it depends on how Butler fares for the side. The forward has been instrumental for the side in the playoffs averaging 37.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in the five games he’s played so far.
The Heat face the resurgent New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, who recorded a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. That said, the former will eventually face tougher opponents in the Philadelphia 76ers or the Boston Celtics in the Conference Finals. Only time will tell if he and the Heat can scorch their way through.
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