“This was cement”: Erik Spoelstra's on whether Miami was stuck in mud in Jimmy Butler's return
Jimmy Butler's boost saw the Miami Heat pull off a close 96-95 OT win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, and head coach Erik Spoelstra minced no words about the team's run amid the veteran forward's injury-riddled season. Butler had missed seven games due to a toe injury and returned to the side to prop up 31 points and help the side improve to 24-16 in the East. In his absence, the Heat were 4-3, but Spoelstra had a quick reply when asked about the team's offense that sputtered heavily against the Nets.
Speaking to the media in the aftermath of the win, Spoelstra was asked if the team's offense was stuck in the mud and the 53-year-old responded:
“This was cement.”
The head coach's words came from the fact that the Heat had scored only 31 points in the opening 24 minutes before clawing their way in. The Heat had only two major contributors — Jimmy Butler with 31 points, and Tyler Herro with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists.
Jimmy Butler propels Heat to close win
Jimmy Butler poured 31 points, five rebounds and four assists as the Heat edged the Nets by one point. Returning from a sprained toe that kept him out of a good few games for Miami. In addition, to his 31 offense, he also hit crucial free throws with 11.8 seconds left in OT at the Barclays Center. It was his first game since Dec. 30 and the forward played his part in helping the side win their third straight game by notching up 21 points in the second half and OT.
He ended his evening with 8-of-12 from the field and was 15-of-16 from the charity stripe. With 3:51 left in overtime, Nets' Royce O'Neal drained a three to give the side a 93-88 lead, but the Heat responded and minutes later, Tyler Herro drilled a three-pointer to put them within 95-94. Butler was later fouled by Dennis Smith Jr. and sunk both his free throws. With 1.1 seconds remaining, Mikal Bridges missed a 10-footer and the Nets went down by one.
The Heat have been one of the teams that have managed to stay competitive in the East, and their 24-16 record puts them in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They trail the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers and now head to Toronto to play the Raptors, before returning to host the Atlanta Hawks. The hope for Spoelstra would be that the Heat's offense would fire up again as they gear up for the second half of the season.