"I think that's Joel" - Jimmy Butler brushes aside MVP talk while crowning former teammate Joel Embiid
Jimmy Butler has just completed the signature performance in the 2023 NBA playoffs so far, but he's conceding the MVP award to Joel Embiid. "Jimmy Buckets" was rained with "MVP" chants as he canned a crucial free throw late in Game 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Butler's career-high 56 points tied him for fourth-most in postseason history. More importantly, his masterpiece carried the Miami Heat to a 3-1 lead over the heavily favored Bucks.
When asked in a courtside interview about the MVP shouts from the home crowd, Jimmy Butler had this to say:
"I don't know about MVP. I think that's Joel if I'm brutally honest."
Jimmy kept it real 👀 https://t.co/2ovJDjjl4U
While the first round of the playoffs is heating up, the NBA hasn't announced the regular-season MVP winner yet. Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the finalists to win the Michael Jordan Trophy sometime in May.
Embiid, who was Butler's teammate for 55 games in Philadelphia, has placed second to Nikola Jokic over the last two seasons. This season, the 76ers' superstar big man has put together a campaign that is arguably better than anyone in the NBA.
'The Process' averaged a career-high 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blcoks and 1.0 steals in 66 games. Embiid shot 54.8% and made 33.0% of his triples.
Jokic, the back-to-back MVP, finished the season with 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 1.3 steals in three more games than Embiid. 'The Joker' hit an outstanding 63.2% of his shots, including 38.3% from deep.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the dark horse in the MVP race, averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists. He was 55.3% but hit just 27.5% of his three-pointers. The 'Greek Freak' led the Milwaukee Bucks to the best record in the entire NBA with a 58-24 mark.
Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic have been at the center of MVP debates, while Giannis Antetokounmpo has been this season's under-the-radar contender.
Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid could meet in the Eastern Conference Finals
Jimmy Butler's 56-point masterpiece carried the Miami Heat to an improbable 3-1 lead against the top-ranked Milwaukee Bucks. A win by Miami on Wednesday would set up a semi-final round with the winner of the New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers matchup. New York currently leads the series 3-1.
"Jimmy Buckets" has averaged 36.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.8 steals in the series versus the Bucks.
Jimmy Butler scores 56 points in Game 4 and is now tied for the 4th most points in a Playoff game in NBA history 👏
#PLAYOFFMODE https://t.co/RqEYWLvh9I
Joel Embiid, on the other hand, led the Philadelphia 76ers to a 3-0 edge against the Brooklyn Nets. 'The Process' was ruled out for Game 4 due to a sprained right knee and missed his team's clinching 96-88 win on Saturday.
The 76ers are waiting for the winner of the Boston Celtics-Atlanta Hawks series, where Boston leads 3-1. Boston is heavily favored to win Game 5 as Atlanta star point guard Dejounte Murray has been suspended after bumping into a referee in Game 4.
Should the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers survive their respective semi-final matchups, they will meet in the Eastern Conference Finals. Jimmy Butler lost to Jayson Tatum in Game 7 last year and vowed to be back.
Notably, Embiid has never led the 76ers to the conference finals. He's hoping 2023 will be the postseason he finally gets there.