Jimmy Butler boldly stands ground on not settling for ties after bricking game-winning 3
Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat lost 110-108 to the lowly Washington Wizards on Sunday after his game-winning 3-point attempt bricked off the iron. Despite the embarrassing home loss and the fact that he could have gone for a game-tying 2-pointer, the superstar forward didn’t regret his shot selection.
After getting out to an 11-point first-half advantage, Miami lost steam, allowing Washington to storm back and take a 110-100 lead with 2:45 remaining. However, the Heat responded with an 8-0 run to give them a chance to tie or win the game.
Following a late offensive foul from Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, the Heat had the ball down by two points with 12.0 seconds left. They subsequently got two deep looks to win the game, starting with sharpshooter Duncan Robinson’s side-step 3-point attempt with 5.0 seconds on the clock.
Robinson’s shot came up short, clanking off the rim to Butler on the perimeter. Rather than driving for a potential game-tying shot, the six-time All-Star promptly gathered for an unsuccessful step-back 3-point attempt with 1.5 seconds to go.
Butler finished with a team-best 23 points, three rebounds and four assists on 45.0% shooting. However, he missed all four of his 3-point attempts as Miami came up short.
After the game, the 34-year-old was asked if he considered going for the tie. He made it clear that the notion never crossed his mind, as that isn’t how he approaches late-game scenarios.
“I’m never going for the tie. Never,” Butler said.
Despite Jimmy Butler’s immense confidence, the Heat (35-29) have lost three straight games to drop to eighth in the Eastern Conference. They will look to bounce back when they host the defending champion Denver Nuggets (44-20) on Wednesday.
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Jimmy Butler calls out Heat’s mindset following humbling loss to Wizards
Sunday’s loss not only marked Miami’s third consecutive amid its quest to secure a playoff spot, but it also came against a bottom-dwelling Washington team.
The Wizards (11-53) entered the matchup tied with the Detroit Pistons (10-53) for the NBA’s worst record. Nonetheless, they dispatched the Heat to record their second straight win behind a game-high 32-point performance from Kyle Kuzma.
In his postgame interview, a dispirited Butler called for his team to lock in to avoid future letdowns against lesser opponents.
“This game is very humbling,” Butler said. “[If we don’t] come out with the right mindset, this is what will happen, this is what will continue to happen. So, I don’t have much to say.”
Following Sunday’s loss, Miami has just 18 games remaining to try to secure a top-six seed and avoid the play-in. It sits just 1.0 game behind the sixth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers (36-28).
Fortunately for the Heat, they have the league’s third-easiest remaining strength of schedule (.463 opponent winning percentage). So, they should have a prime opportunity to end the season on a high note.
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