Jimmy Butler, take a bow.
The six-time NBA All-Star stunned the Milwaukee Bucks with a career-high 56 points during the Miami Heat’s thrilling comeback victory in Game 4 of their playoff series on Tuesday AEST.
Butler set a new franchise playoff record, becoming the first Heat player to register more than 50 points in a post-season game and pushing Milwaukee to the brink of elimination.
The 33-year-old was 19 for 28 from the field, 15 of 18 from the foul line, adding nine rebounds. No other Miami player broke 20 points, with Bam Adebayo the next highest Miami scorer with 15 points.
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He’s the 29th player in NBA history to score 50 or more in playoff game. Only Michael Jordan (63 points), Elgin Baylor (61) and Donovan Mitchell (57) have scored more in a post-season game.
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“He’s one of the most intelligent basketball players in this association,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said after the five-point win.
“You can’t do what he does on both ends of the court just by running around and trying to figure things out.
“He understands what we’re trying to do and he understands what they’re trying to do — and they’re a very good team.”
Miami, who were trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter, won the contest 119-114 after a remarkable 13-0 run in the final term. Butler, now averaging more than 35 points per game in the conference quarterfinals, dropped a whopping 21 points in the fourth quarter.
“For my team, to get this dub, in this way, in this atmosphere, for this city, it’s huge,” Butler said.
“To play basketball in Milwaukee, in front of their crowd, to be together, on the road – that’s where championships are won. And we’ve got a shot.”
The Heat are now one victory away from knocking out the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Bucks, taking a 3-1 lead in the playoff series.
“We had our opportunities in the fourth quarter but we didn’t make enough plays on either end, and they did,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.
Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo marked his return from injury with a triple-double for Milwaukee.
The 28-year-old missed the Bucks’ two previous games due to a back injury, but the two-time NBA MVP put together a scintillating performance in Miami, registering 26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists.
Antetokounmpo secured his tenth assist in the fourth quarter with a no-look pass to Brook Lopez, footage of which quickly circulated social media.
Lopez finished with 36 points and 11 rebounds.
Miami and Milwaukee will face off in Game 5, now a must-win for the Bucks, at the Fiserv Forum on Thursday at 11.30am AEST.
– with AFP
