Butler goes for 38 against former team and Heat blows out 76ers to clinch season series
Jimmy Butler has downplayed revenge any time the Philadelphia 76ers have popped up on the Miami Heat’s schedule this season. Butler, after all, spent just one season in 76ers and he has been outward in his admiration of Joel Embiid. He was a playoff hero in Philadelphia, even if it was only briefly, and the crowd adored him at least for a few nights last year.
Butler always leaves some drama in his wake, though. The 76ers reportedly didn’t offer Butler the full five-year max contract he was eligible for, so he left for the Heat. On Monday, he delivered his best performance yet for Miami against his old team. The All-Star wing scored a season-high 38 points on 14 of 20 shooting to lead a 137-106 rout of Philadelphia at AmericanAirlines Arena, a potentially pivotal win in a crowded Eastern Conference playoff race.
The Heat’s win keeps it tied with the Boston Celtics for third in the Eastern Conference and moves Miami (34-15) within 1 1/2 games of the Toronto Raptors for second. It also pushes the Heat’s lead on the 76ers, now the No. 6, seed up to four games and clinched the tiebreaker with Philadelphia. After dropping the first meeting this season, Miami beat the 76ers (31-20) three times in a row to clinch the season series.
At the center of it all was Butler at his best, adding seven rebounds and two assists, and going 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. In the first half, he lived inside, making all but one of his field goals from inside the paint. In the second half, he opened up his game to a degree he has rarely reached all year.
Butler’s jump shot has never been the centerpiece of his offensive game, but it has been a factor as long as he has been an All-Star. Last season, he shot 34.7 percent from three-point range. He peaked at 37.8 percent five years ago. Entering Monday, Butler had missed 17 straight from long range and made just two of his last 24.
In the third quarter, Butler went 2 of 2. He hit one uncontested from the top of the key with 8:54 left to stretch the Heat’s lead to 71-57 — then its largest lead of the game — and drilled another from the left corner less than two minutes later to answer a three by Philadelphia.
All-Star post player Bam Adebayo had a near triple-double with 18 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, guard Goran Dragic chipped in 24 off the bench and sharpshooting swingman Duncan Robinson scored 19 with four three-pointers. Miami set a franchise record with only three turnovers. After the lead changed hands 16 times in the first half, the Heat never trailed after halftime and led by as much as 35 on its way to a blowout win in Miami.
This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 9:55 PM.
