The Heat defeated the Bucks to take a 3-1 series lead in the first round of the Eastern Conference postseason, and Jimmy Butler had a massive game.
Butler finished with a career-high 56 points (19-28 FG, 15-18 FT, 3-8 3P) while adding 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block.
During the first quarter, he became the first to ever record a 20-point quarter in franchise postseason history. He then had another 20-point quarter in the fourth to secure the victory over the Bucks while playing in front of the home crowd in Miami.
After a particularly hot stretch, Butler pointed at the court over and over again as he celebrated a clutch 3-pointer.
JIMMY. BUTLER. 50 BALL. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/A2JSftABpe
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 25, 2023
It doesn’t take much of a lip-reading detective to notice Butler is clearly yelling “This is my [expletive]!” as part of his celebration.
Without hyperbole, this was a career-defining moment for the six-time All-Star.
Miami had to earn their spot in this series by defeating Butler’s original team, the Bulls, in the play-in tournament. Now, thanks to a dominant performance from Butler, the Heat are one game away from pulling off the rare first-round upset of the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Should they pull it off, it would be the first time since 2011 and just the fifth time in NBA postseason history.
