Watch- Jimmy Butler swats RJ Barrett's shot to the stands in Game 4
Ever since the 2023 NBA Playoffs commenced, Jimmy Butler has shifted into a different gear and dominated his Eastern Conference rivals. Now playing in the semifinals, Butler is showing no signs of slowing down as he constantly does all he can to pull out all the stops to come out victorious.
With a little over five minutes remaining in the 4th quarter of Game 4, Jimmy Butler came up with a monster rejection as he blocked RJ Barrett to stop a potential New York Knicks comeback. The Miami Heat, at that point, was leading the game by 10 points, and Butler made sure that the Knicks wouldn't cut down the deficit.
DENIED BY BUTLER ⛔️
Heat lead, 5 minutes to go on TNT.
They seek a 3-1 series lead 🍿 https://t.co/eKCvwiaqpp
Looking at Jimmy Butler’s legendary playoff performances so far
"Playoff Jimmy Butler" is apparently a real thing considering how he’s carried the Miami Heat to the semifinals. Initially, the Heat was a Play-In Tournament team who slithered their way into the playoffs to face the dominant Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. The NBA world expected Milwaukee to easily overpower Miami. However, Butler proved otherwise.
Jimmy “Buckets” came alive against the Bucks and put up some of the most clutch performances in NBA history. In Game 4 of the first round, Butler went on a scoring rampage and put up 56 points to help the Heat take a 3-1 series lead. He then followed up his game with another high-scoring affair when he made 42 points in Game 5 to seal their spot in the semifinals.
Now up against the Knicks, Butler has cooled down offensively. However, that doesn't mean he hasn't put up efficient performances for Miami. So far in the semifinals, Jimmy is averaging 26.6 points, seven rebounds, and 5.3 assists in three games. The Heat star missed out in Game 2 due to a sprained right ankle. Apparently, his injury isn't getting in the way as he came up big in games 3 and 4.
With the Miami Heat now enjoying a 3-1 series lead over the New York Knicks, it makes people wonder if "Playoff Jimmy Butler" will continue to dominate until the Eastern Conference Finals.