For Heat, the legend of ‘Playoff Jimmy’ continues to grow

MIAMI (AP)— Jimmy Butler insists that Playoff Jimmy — the moniker that he hasnow, whether he wants it or not — isn’t a thing.

His playshows otherwise.

He hasscored 45 or more points five times in his NBA career, and three ofthose games have come in the playoffs — the most recent one comingMonday in a performance for all-time.Butlerscored 56 points,tying the fourth-highest playoff scoringeffort in NBA history, and carried the Miami Heat past theMilwaukee Bucks 119-114 to take a 3-1 lead in that EasternConference first-round series.

“I thinkthis is where all the best players, they show up and they showout,” Butler said. “And I’m not saying I’m one of those bestplayers. I just want to be looked at as such.”

Hard toimagine anyone not looking at him that way, especially rightnow.

He had 22points in the first quarter on Monday, 21 more in the fourth. Overthe last quarter-century, nobody had two 20-point quarters in thesame playoff game and only one player — Damian Lillard, in his71-point game for Portland — did it during this regular season.

Butler was9 for 10 in the first quarter, 6 for 8 in the fourth quarter. Andthis came against a Milwaukee team that has three players — GiannisAntetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday — who are rightlyconsidered among the NBA’s best defenders.

Didn’tmatter. Playoff Jimmy was no match.

“I haven’tbeen here too long, but I’ve always had the utmost respect forhim,” said Heat forward Kevin Love, who signed with Miami inFebruary. “Love his game, love what he’s about. I mean, I hate tosay arguably, but I think he’s the best closer in the game. And yousaw why.”

The onlyplayers to score more in a playoff game were Michael Jordan with 63in 1986, Elgin Baylor with 61 in 1962, and Donovan Mitchell with 57in 2020. Butler became the fourth with 56, joining Jordan, WiltChamberlain and Charles Barkley. The previous Heat playoff recordfor points in a game was 49, by LeBron James.

“I thinkwe’re witnessing a guy who continues to be in his prime and isplaying at a level of basketball that not many players can get to,”Heat guard Kyle Lowry said. “And you have to just kind of sometimessit back and appreciate it.”

For Heatcoach Erik Spoelstra, what Butler did Monday night — Miami trailedfor almost the entire game and was down 14 in the fourth quarter —was reminiscent of the other top moments in the franchise’s playofflore.

Like Jamesscoring 45 in a must-win Game 6 on the road at Boston in 2012. LikeButler willing Miami to the NBA Finals in the bubble in 2020. LikeDwyane Wade taking over in Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Finals, erasing adouble-digit deficit after his infamous “I ain’t going out likethis” proclamation in the huddle and starting the Heat on theirpath to beating Dallas in six games for their firstchampionship.

“I don’tthink Jimmy would want me up here ranking this performance oranything,” Spoelstra said. “He views everything the way a headcoach does. He’s not relaxing. He understands what we still have todo, and he understands who we’re facing.”

The Bucksare in trouble, but far from doomed. Game 5 is in their building,and if they bring it back to Miami and win Game 6 — notunthinkable, since they led on the Heat home floor for much ofMonday night — they’d also have the home-court edge for Game 7.

Butlerknows all this, and that was his message after scoring 56.

“The job’snot done, so we don’t want to get comfortable,” Butler said. “We’vegot one more to get.”

He leadsthe playoffs in scoring so far at 36.5 points per game, is shooting63% so far in the series, has helped the Heat overcome the lossesof injured shooting guards Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo, andsimply wore down Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in Game 4.

The legendof Playoff Jimmy kept growing.

“It’s not athing. It’s not,” Butler insisted. “I just be hooping.”