Jimmy Butler powers the Heat past Indiana Pacers in his first playoff game with Miami
Jimmy Butler waited an extra three months to finally suit up for his first playoff game with the Miami Heat.
He powered the Heat to its best start since the Big 3 era in the first half of the season, then waited out a months-long hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic just as it was time to start gearing up for the postseason. After a longer wait than he could’ve ever anticipated, Butler finally got to deliver one of his signature postseason performances Tuesday to help Miami beat the Indiana Pacers, 113-101.
“Jimmy’s a killer,” rookie wing Tyler Herro said. “He’s our heart and soul, and we’re going to follow his lead to the next 15 wins.”
Butler stabilized the Heat through a rocky first half, then helped Miami hang on in the fourth quarter after a double-digit lead dwindled to one point. He led the way with 28 points, four assists, four steals and two blocks, and nailed back-to-back three-pointers in the fourth to ice the Heat’s win in Lake Buena Vista.
The Heat is into the postseason win column for the first time since 2018 and three victories away from winning its first postseason series since 2016. Miami takes a 1-0 series lead on the Pacers at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
For a long time Tuesday, it was gruesome for the Heat. In the first half, the Heat committed eight turnovers, and traded leads back and forth with Indiana. Butler and fellow All-Star forward Bam Adebayo combined for 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting in the first half, while the rest of their teammates scored 30 on 10-of-22 shooting.
All season long, Miami leaned on contributions from unexpected — often undrafted — young players. On Tuesday, sharpshooting swingman Duncan Robinson went 2 of 8 from three-point range and Rookie of the Year finalist Kendrick Nunn didn’t even play, so Butler took 15 shots and 12 free throws to keep the offense chugging when it was failing elsewhere.
“In those pressure moments, you throw him the ball and he’s going to make a play that you trust is going to be good for the team,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “The other thing you got to love about Jimmy is that he’s willing to put himself out there, make or miss he wants the responsibility. That’s obviously why we sought him out so fervently.”
A year ago, Butler helped carry the Philadelphia 76ers all the way within one shot of the Eastern Conference Finals, providing a steadying offensive presence for an otherwise inexperienced group of young stars. The Heat cast him into the same role this season and it asked him to play the part in Game 1.
Butler, who joined Miami last year as its biggest free-agent acquisition since LeBron James and Chris Bosh teamed up with Dwyane Wade in 2010, set the tone in the first half. In the fourth quarter, he carried them to victory.
Guard Goran Dragic picked up the load first, scoring 14 of his 24 points in the fourth, and then Butler finished.
With 3:41 left, Pacers star post player Myles Turner finished a dunk to cut Miami’s lead to 101-95 and Butler responded in a way he hadn’t all season. First, he pulled up from the left wing and canned a three on the next possession. The Heat responded with another stop and Butler wound up on the right wing as the shot clock wound down. The All-Star wing, who shot just 24.4 percent from three in the regular season, drilled another with a hand in his face to swell the lead back to double digits and ice the win.
“I take what the games gives me the majority of the time. Sometimes if forced me to take some bad shots, but in the end my teammates, my coaches are like, ‘Don’t lose this game. Win it for us,’” Butler said. “That’s what I was thinking: Make the right play.”
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 6:33 PM.
