"I don't think we could play any worse" - Jimmy Butler looking forward to Game 3 after Miami Heat get blown out by Milwaukee Bucks | NBA Playoffs 2021
The Miami Heat were taken to the cleaners on Monday night by the Milwaukee Bucks, who recorded a resounding 132-98 win. Jimmy Butler and co. received a thumping wake-up call in Game 2 and will now look to bounce back after going down 0-2 in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
The Miami Heat pretty much lost the matchup in the first quarter itself, with the Milwaukee Bucks catching fire from downtown and establishing a 46-20 lead. Jimmy Butler himself was to blame for the situation as he finished with 10 points, two rebounds, four assists, two steals and a plus-minus of -34.
Speaking after the game, Jimmy Butler took an optimistic approach, suggesting that the team knows what needs to be done.
"It's never that bad...it's not all good either," Butler said. "We know that we have to do better. The bright spot is, I don't think we could play any worse."
Jimmy Butler talks about Miami Heat playing in front of home crowd
The Miami Heat will now get the chance to play in front of their home crowd in the next two games and leverage their support to get an edge over the Milwaukee Bucks. Jimmy Butler doesn't think it'll make too much of a difference, though. He said:
"I don't think so. We love playing in front of our home crowd. We still gotta go there and play basketball our way and compete...but yeah, it'll feel a little bit better, a little bit different. But we still gotta go out there and handle business."
Butler is excited about the fact that both he and his Miami Heat teammates get to dig deep now.
"I'm excited because you really get the opportunity to find out what myself and my teammates are made of going into this next game," Butler said.
Jimmy Butler concluded by mentioning that the Miami Heat just need to move on from tonight's loss and play better.
"Nobody is embarrassed," Butler declared. "That's just part of the game. You put this behind us, we've got two days to get ready for the next one... Frustration isn't gonna change anything. You just gotta compete harder, do things the right way."
Both the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks will travel to South Beach, Florida for the next two matchups. Game 3 of this Eastern Conference Playoffs series will take place on Thursday.
Also read: Miami Heat 98-132 Milwaukee Bucks: 5 talking points as Jimmy Butler struggles against Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. again | 2021 NBA Playoffs