Jimmy Butler scores 56, Heat stun Bucks 119-114 for 3-1 lead

MIAMI (AP) —Jimmy Butler had the game of his life, and the Miami Heat had acomeback for the ages.

Butler scored56 points — tying the fourth-best scoring performance ever in anNBA playoff game — and the Heat roared back from 14 points down inthe final quarter to stun the Milwaukee Bucks 119-114 on Mondaynight to put the NBA’s top overall seed on the brink of earlyelimination.

The 56 pointsalso became Butler’s career high. He was 19 for 28 from the field,15 of 18 from the foul line and added nine rebounds foreighth-seeded Miami — which took a 3-1 lead over the Bucks in theirEastern Conference first-round series.

“For my team,to get this dub, in this way, in this atmosphere, for this city,it’s huge,” Butler said.

Brook Lopezscored 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Milwaukee. GiannisAntetokounmpo returned from a two-game absence with a bruised backand had a triple-double — 26 points, 10 rebounds and 13assists.

And the Bucks— who now need to win three straight, starting with Game 5 atMilwaukee on Wednesday — led almost the whole way, until the Heatroared back in the final minutes.

“We didn’tmake enough plays on either end,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzersaid. “And they did.”

Butler had 21of his points in the fourth, and the Heat still trailed 101-89after a layup by Lopez with 6:09 left.

That’s when a13-0 run, capped by a Butler dunk off a Bucks turnover, put Miamiup for the first time all night with 3:17 left — 102-101.

The leadchanged hands four more times, and Butler’s 3-pointer with 1:20left put Miami ahead for good. He added a step-back jumper onMiami’s next possession, punched the air in celebration, and theHeat knew they would soon be leaving with a 3-1 lead.

“For 40minutes of this game, it was frustrating. ... It just shows youthat when you have the right grit and perseverance, you can win,”Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And then it always helps to have aguy like him.”

The onlyplayers to score more in a playoff game: Michael Jordan had 63 in1986, Elgin Baylor had 61 in 1962, Donovan Mitchell had 57 in 2020.Butler became the fourth with 56, joining Jordan, Wilt Chamberlainand Charles Barkley.

Bam Adebayoscored 15, Caleb Martin had 12 and Gabe Vincent scored 10 for theHeat.

Antetokounmpomissed Games 2 and 3 of the series — and most of Game 1 — with abruised lower back. He worked out Sunday, went through shootaroundwith the Bucks on Monday, got cleared to play and looked good asnew.

But Butlerwas better than ever.

He set thetone early — with the highest-scoring quarter of his career. He had22 of Miami’s 28 first-quarter points, including 20 in a row over aspan of 5:45 late in the period.

And in thefourth, he had 21 more — leading a massive comeback, one that put ateam that won an NBA-best 58 games this season squarely on theropes in Round 1.

“The seriesis still going,” Spoelstra said. “And we have great respect for thechampionship DNA that group has.”

TIP-INS

Bucks:Milwaukee now has made 138 3-pointers in eight games against Miamithis season, including playoffs. No team has ever made more vs. theHeat in a season; Boston made 126 in 10 games last season. … Allthree of Antetokounmpo’s playoff triple-doubles have come on theroad — two at Miami, the other at Boston.

Heat: Butleris averaging 16.5 points in first quarters in the series, with atleast 13 points to open all four games. … It was the 99th win ofSpoelstra’s playoff career.

OLADIPOTRIBUTE

The game wasMiami’s first sinceVictorOladipo’s season-ending torn left patellar tendoninjury.Heat players arrived at the arenawearingOladipoT-shirts.“He said, ‘Don’t shed any tears for me. I’mgoing to get through all of this,’” Spoelstra said.

FANDUELSAYS

Milwaukeeclosed as a 7.5-point favorite atFanDuel Sportsbook.The Heat hadn’tbeen more than a 2.5-point underdog in any home game this season,and weren’t such a big underdog in their arena since Feb. 27, 2019against Golden State — 177 games ago.

ERA ENDS

WithAaronRodgers getting tradedfrom Green Bay to the New York Jetsearlier Monday, it was the first time in the last 2,611 games thatthe Bucks played with neither Rodgers nor Brett Favre consideredthe Packers’ first-string quarterback — excluding games affected byinjury.