How did Miami Heat get better of Nuggets in Game 2? Taking closer look at Jimmy Butler's critical Saturday workout
Jimmy Butler did what he was supposed to in Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals. He was much more aggressive than he was in the first game of the series, leading the Miami Heat to a big victory.
The 6-foot-7 swingman finished the game with 21 points, converting seven of his 19 shot attempts. While Butler wasn't efficient, he looked much better than he did in Game 1, and that ended up being the difference-maker for Miami.
According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Jimmy Butler had an important workout on Saturday night. Instead of taking a day off, like he said he would, Butler worked out with his shooting coach.
Jimmy Butler practiced his short shots a night before Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals
Butler is a fantastic scorer who can catch fire and single-handedly beat his opponents. That's what he did in Game 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks, scoring a playoff-high 56 points and helping the Miami Heat take a 3-1 lead over the heavily-favored Bucks.
While he can do a great job on offense, there is no denying that close-range shots are Butler's bread and butter. The Heat star practiced these shots before the game, gaining a lot of confidence and doing a much better job on Sunday night.
"He just likes figuring things out," Chris Brickley, Butler's trainer, said. "When he's making those short shots, everything is different. So we worked on it."
Interestingly, Jimmy Butler also needs to see shots go in. His trainer explained how this affects his shooting performance.
You may be interested in reading: "It's the 'I don't give a damn' factor"- Jimmy Butler speaks about the mentality of the Heat after they beat the Nuggets in Game 2 of the NBA Finals
"He needs to see the ball go in," Brickley said. "The games that he hasn't done that [before the game], he hasn't played well. He's big on that. It's a mental thing."
Thanks to his workout and confidence, Jimmy Butler took 19 shots in Game 2, 14 of which came from within 18 feet of the basket. He also kept attacking the rim more often, drawing five free throws and converting all of them.
Butler had no free throws in Game 1, which was very surprising.
You may be interested in reading: "Nuggets in trouble"- NBA fans react to Jimmy Butler and Miami Heat winning Game 2 of the NBA Finals
The Game 2 performance was far from impressive for Butler's standards, but he figured out the way to beat the Denver Nuggets, and that's what matters.
The next two games of the series are in Miami, where Butler has averaged 29.3 points on 46.3% shooting this postseason.