The Miami Heat couldn’t afford to lose at home to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.
They had to take care of business in South Beach for a chance to close the series out in just five games, and Jimmy Butler knew it.
Jimmy played like a man on a mission from the jump, scoring 24 points in the first half alone.
He topped it with a 32-point second half to score a franchise-record 56 points and lead his team to an epic 15-point comeback win.
Butler was so impressive that Reggie Miller went on to say that it was the all-time greatest playoff performance by any Miami Heat player ever.
"This may be the greatest playoff performance by any Heat player."
– Reggie Miller was in AWE of Jimmy Butler 🗣️
Agree or disagree with Reggie? 🤔pic.twitter.com/vIdFAqwcpp
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 25, 2023
That’s a lot to say, given how dominant LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were throughout the years, but Miller could have a point with his statement.
Butler had the fourth-highest-scoring individual performance in NBA playoff history, trailing just Donovan Mitchell (57), Elgin Baylor (61), and Michael Jordan (63).
And while this performance came in the first round and not in the NBA Finals, it cannot be overlooked.
The Bucks returned to full strength with Giannis Antetokounmpo back on the floor while the Heat were undermanned without Tyler Herro.
The Heat trailed for most of the game, and it all pointed to a 2-2 series tie heading back to Milwaukee.
However, Butler had the last word with the performance of his career, posting 56 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one block, and three three-pointers on 67.9% from the floor.
Now, the Heat are on the verge of sending the league’s best team back home empty-handed.
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