Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler produces a playoff masterpiece against Bucks

Jimmy Butler’s performance in Game 1 has only added to the confidence the Miami Heat possesses against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Given their proficiency from long range, many onlookers suspected that one of the best ways for the Miami Heat to upset the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks was to get red hot from downtown.

Granted, while their 38.7 percent (12-of-31) strike rate from 3-point range in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals was more than serviceable, such a return simply doesn’t blow many teams out of the water. Instead, it was their ability to get into the paint and finish from either the midrange or at the free throw line that ultimately got the Heat over the line.

And this is where Jimmy Butler is at his absolute best.

While he spent the majority of his debut season with the Heat as the defacto point guard, Butler decided to take matters into his own hands in the opening game of the series.

Playing 36 minutes, Butler posted a playoff career-high 40 points, 27 of which came in the second half. Without question, the feature of Butler’s epic performance was his sheer efficiency. In addition to shooting 13-of-20 overall from the field and 2-of-2 from long distance, Butler nailed 12-of-13 his attempts from the free throw line, as the Heat were able to completely overwhelm the Bucks’ usually stellar interior defense on the way to a 115-104 win.

Breaking this down even further, Butler scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the final quarter without committing a turnover. Following the game, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was effusive in his praise for Butler’s production in the clutch:

"“It’s a stars league, and that’s why we sought him out so aggressively. He just fits everything about us, who we are….everyone feels comfortable when he’s making those decisions. He happened to score tonight, but he’s a very unselfish player….we basically had to put the ball in his hands just for us to get the clean looks at that point of the game.”"

In attack mode throughout, Butler recorded a game-high 20 drives, from which he was able to produce 17 of his 40 points while committing just the one turnover. Dealing with a variety of defenders, Butler was undeterred by the fact the Bucks have allowed the least amount of field goal attempts in the restricted area in both the regular season and the playoffs.

Following the crucial Game 1 win, Butler assessed his overall output:

"“I just do what my coaches need me to do and my teammates need me to do – that’s guard, hopefully if I can make a couple of shots I can do that as well….it’s not just about scoring, it’s about guarding, it’s about making the right plays….I thought I took it up a level in the fourth quarter….I told my teammates I probably wasn’t going to pass the ball."

Looking ahead, naturally, there’s going to be a number of adjustments made from either team as the series progresses. But if there is one thing that is certain going forward, it’s that the Miami Heat are fully aware that they possess an elite level closer in Jimmy Butler in the NBA playoffs.