5 hours Ago By Robert Zschoche
Jimmy Butler thrives in the postseason, showing up in clutch moments to elevate his team. Butler's trash-talking games against the Celtics and incredible playoff performances are unforgettable. From epic point scoring to carrying underdog teams, Butler excels in high-pressure playoff situations.
In every sport, there are some players who simply thrive on the pressure that comes with a postseason environment, whether it's Tom Brady in football, Derek Jeter in baseball, or Michael Jordan in basketball. These guys are somehow able to elevate their level of play past their normal standard as the competition gets tougher and the stakes are raised tenfold, as counter-intuitive as it might seem. Perhaps the best example of this phenomenon in the NBA today is Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler , who has long been a somewhat mediocre regular season performer, but seemingly raises his game to new heights when called upon in the playoffs.
As a member of the oft-undermanned Heat teams of the 2020s, Butler has been asked to carry the load against much more talented teams many, many times, and he has consistently delivered. Butler has given us some of the most inspiring playoff games in recent memory, and it is very hard to pick just five. However, this is our best shot at it.
5 Grant Williams Vs. Jimmy Butler Everyone remembers the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals for the Boston Celtics ' near 3-0 comeback that ended in a Heat blowout victory in Game 7 on Boston's home floor, but Game 2 of that series provided one of Butler's best trash-talking moments in a career full of them. After Grant Williams drilled a three to give the Celtics a nine-point lead with six and a half minutes remaining, Butler went right back at him for an and-one bucket to cut the lead to six.
He and Williams met eye-to-eye as the tensions rose to an all-time high between the two after two games of Williams unsuccessfully attempting to guard Butler. In classic Jimmy Butler fashion, he immediately took over the game with four consecutive baskets one on one vs. Williams, talking smack all the while as his Heat went on a 24-9 run to close out the game and take a 2-0 lead in Boston.
Miami intentionally cleared out the right side of the floor each time down for Butler to work in isolation against Williams, and he slowly stole the Celtics' heart away with bucket after bucket. Butler Game 2, 2023 ECF Points Rebounds Assists FG 4Q Points 27 8 6 12-25 9 Williams poked the bear, and soon learned the lesson that so many players have in playoff matchups vs. Butler: he takes these things personally.
4 Butler Scores 42 To Close Out #8 Vs. #1 Upset After scoring 56 points to steal Game 4 at home and take a 3-1 lead over the first-seeded Milwaukee Bucks , Butler somehow outdid himself in Game 5 with another masterpiece performance. Milwaukee expected to win this one and send the series back to Miami, especially after taking a 16-point lead late in the third quarter, but once again, Butler took over down the stretch with 12 points to make the game close.
Despite Jimmy's heroics, Milwaukee held a two-point advantage with just 2.1 seconds left, with Miami inbounding on the side. Gabe Vincent threw a looping pass to the rim for Butler, who somehow caught the ball and finished while falling down at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
Miami would escape with a two-point victory in OT and completed the improbable eight vs. one upset over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Butler Game 5, 2023 1st Round Points Rebounds Assists FG 4Q Points 42 8 4 17-33 12 This series was just the beginning of yet another unbelievable playoff run for Butler and his Heat, this time becoming the second team ever to make the Finals as an eighth seed.
3 Jimmy Staves Off Elimination In Boston With 47 Points In the first of two straight Conference Finals matchups between Miami and Boston, the Celtics took a 3-2 series lead heading back to Beantown for Game 6 after dominating Games 4 and 5. Butler averaged just nine points per night over the past three contests due to a knee injury that looked to just be getting worse, making it feel all but over for Miami in Game 6. Somehow, just as he always does, Butler found another gear in Boston that night, scoring a ridiculous 47 points complete with some of the greatest shotmaking you'll ever see.
Miami's superstar scored 14 in the fourth quarter and hit an insane dagger fadeaway on the sideline to lift a beleaguered Heat squad to an eight-point victory to send the series back to South Beach for Game 7. Butler Game 6, 2022 ECF Points Rebounds Assists FG 4Q Points 47 9 8 16-29 14 Boston would win that game in dramatic fashion and head off to the NBA Finals, but Butler once again proved that he will never quit in a series and is able to carry any team to victory, no matter what the circumstances are. 2 35-Point Triple Double in the Finals Down 3-1 in the Finals to the L.
A. Lakers in the NBA Bubble, the Heat were so clearly the inferior team to the stacked Lakers roster who had been arguably the best team in basketball all season long. As is the theme for this era of Heat basketball, they surprised everyone by even making it to the Finals by beating perceived superior teams like the Bucks and Celtics, but it seemed like they finally met their match.
Just as he would end up doing countless times over the next half-decade, Butler put on his Superman cape and dragged Miami to Game 6 by outlasting LeBron James and Anthony Davis with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. For a team who only played seven players all night, and started Jae Crowder and Duncan Robinson against the dominant Lakers, they desperately needed this performance just to escape with a three-point victory. Butler Game 5, 2020 Finals Points Rebounds Assists FG Steals 35 12 11 11-19 5 Butler rested for just 48 seconds that night and left everything out there for his team, and the iconic photo of him hunched over on the baseline was born.
The picture encapsulates Butler's entire Heat career, always shedding blood, sweat, and tears to try to lift his squad to the title, but never quite having enough help. NBA fans can only hope he gets another chance to hoist the trophy, but time is running out. 1 Butler's 56-Point Explosion Heading into the 2023 playoffs, Miami had posted yet another disappointing regular season, winning just 44 games and becoming the eighth seed after faltering at home against the Atlanta Hawks in their first play-in game.
After barely escaping a mediocre Chicago Bulls team to sneak into the playoffs, hopes weren't high in South Beach of taking down the first-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. Even after taking a 2-1 lead, the Heat were still heavy underdogs to take the series because Giannis Antetokounmpo had missed two of the three contests, and was returning for Game 4. All the narratives about the matchup seemed true when the Bucks took a double-digit fourth quarter lead, and then Butler erupted for a 19-point final frame complete with absurd clutch shots from everywhere on the floor.
Butler scored four baskets in the final three minutes, and capped the run with a step-back two-pointer in transition over Jrue Holiday to seal the deal for the Heat. Butler Game 4, 2023 1st Round Points Rebounds Assists FG 4Q Points 56 9 2 19-28 19 It was bedlam in Miami, and Butler had another historic game to close out the eight vs. one upset in Game 5, on the way to an iconic NBA Finals run.
Even the best NBA superstars couldn't win on their own. Many would be ringless without their All-Star complement..
