Jimmy Butler has scored a Miami playoff record 56 points, and the Heat roared back from 14 points down in the final quarter to stun Milwaukee 119-114 to put the NBA’s top overall seed on the brink of early elimination.
The 56 points also became Butler’s career high. He was 19 for 28 from the field, 15 of 18 from the foul line and added nine rebounds for eighth-seeded Miami — who took a 3-1 lead over the Bucks in their Eastern Conference first-round series on Monday night.
“For my team, to get this dub, in this way, in this atmosphere, for this city, it’s huge,” Butler said.
Bam Adebayo scored 15, Caleb Martin had 12 and Gabe Vincent added 10 for the Heat.
Game 5 is at Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Brook Lopez scored 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a two-game absence with a bruised back and had a triple-double — 26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists.
The Bucks led almost the whole way, until the Heat roared back in the final minutes.
Butler had 21 of his points in the fourth, and the Heat still trailed 101-89 after a layup by Lopez with 6:09 left.
That’s when a 13-0 run, capped by a Butler dunk off a Milwaukee turnover, put the hosts up for the first time all night with 3:17 left.
The lead changed hands four more times, and Butler’s three-pointer with 1:20 left put Miami ahead for good.
He added a step-back jumper on their next possession, punched the air in celebration, and the Heat knew they would soon be leaving with a 3-1 lead.
“For 40 minutes of this game, it was frustrating … It just shows you that when you have the right grit and perseverance, you can win,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
“And then it always helps to have a guy like him (Butler).”
Butler set the tone early — with the highest-scoring quarter of his career. He had 22 of Miami’s 28 first-quarter points, including 20 in a row over a span of 5:45 late in the period.
