Can Jimmy Butler Have A Vintage Finals Performance For The Miami Heat?

The Miami Heat, on the brink of elimination against the Denver Nuggets, need a superstar performance from Jimmy Butler.

It seems like it’s been ages since we’ve seen “Playoff Jimmy Butler.” 

His 50-point performances against the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t been replicated since. Now is the time for one of those games.

Butler has proven he’s capable of having this type of performance. In Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals, he had 35 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists and five steals to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers. Even though Miami lost the series, Butler was hailed for his effort in keeping the season alive.

Even with his ankle injury this postseason, he refuses to make excuses for himself. He knows the task at hand and needs to respond to extend the series. The Heat are 2-6 in their last eight games, including 0-4 at home. Butler averaged 22.8 points in that span but shot 41.5 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from 3-point range.

But when the season is on the line, Butler has answered the call. Whether it’s dropping 28 points against the Boston Celtics or 31 against the Chicago Bulls, he hasn’t gone out on a bad performance. Even though the circumstances are nearly impossible, Denver should expect a fight and be prepared for another Butler masterclass.

“We don’t have any doubt,” Butler said. “We don't have any quit. We're gonna continually fight to get better starting tomorrow. We’re gonna go into Monday and do exactly what we said we’d do: win. We have no other choice. Otherwise, we did all this for no reason.”

Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.