"It didn’t matter if it was LeBron James or Michael Jordan" - Jrue Holiday on Jimmy Butler's killer instinct
This postseason, Jimmy Butler has been one of the most talked about players in the NBA. After starting out in the play-in tournament, the Miami Heat are now just one win away from punching their ticket in the NBA Finals.
Jimmy Butler began his stellar postseason run against the Milwaukee Bucks. Thanks to a string of incredible performances, they were one of the few eighth seeds to knock off the No. 1 team in the conference.
In those five games, Butler averaged 37.6 points while shooting close to 60% from the field. His top performance came in Game 4, when he erupted for 56 points in a five-point win for the Heat.
Following their premature playoff exit, Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Jrue Holiday opened up on what it was like going against Butler. Having some time to reflect on the series now, he admits that there was nothing he could have done to slow down Butler:
"A lot of the plays Jimmy made, there was nothing I could do. There's nothing that anyone could do. It didn't matter if it was Brook on him, LeBron James or Michael Jordan on him, it didn't matter who was on him. Jimmy was playing at a different level."
Jrue Holiday admits he got his ‘ass busted’ by Jimmy Butler
“A lot of plays Jimmy made, there was nothing that I could do. There’s nothing that anybody could do. It didn’t matter if it was Brook on him, if it was LeBron James or Michael Jordan on him. It didn’t matter who was… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/bf03cP7nex
Jimmy Butler continues to prove he is one of the NBA's top competitors
When it comes to guys who can elevate their game in the postseason, Jimmy Butler is at the top of the list. Time and time again he has proven that he is willing to do whatever it takes to win at the highest level.
The first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks is a testament to the type of competitor Butler is. Heading into the playoffs, Giannis Antetokounmpo and company were seen as favorites to win it all. That did not stop Butler from putting his head down and taking the series by any means. Few players in the NBA right now have that level of competitive fire in them.
Before this year, Butler put on a similar type of run during the bubble. He led the Miami Heat all the way to the finals that year, but were unable to get past LeBron James and the LA Lakers. Even though the Heat didn't win the title, it didn't take away from what Butler had done to get there.
There is no denying that Butler is an elite playoff performer, and because of his will, he might punch his ticket to the finals yet again.