Watch: Miami Heat pull rabbit out of the hat with Jaime Jaquez Jr’s game-tying slam and Jimmy Butler’s subsequent winner
Jimmy Butler and Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s spectacular plays helped the Miami Heat overturn a late deficit against the Chicago Bulls at the Kaseya Center on Saturday. Butler and Jaquez came up with two clutch moves that sealed a 118-116 win to level the series with Chicago at 1-1.
With 1:47 left in the fourth and the score 114-112 in favor of Chicago, Kevin Love found Kyle Lowry under the basket. The guard then passed it to rookie Jaquez, who drove past Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic for an emphatic slam to tie the game.
It was then Butler's turn. With 5.5 seconds remaining on the clock and the game tied at 116, the forward matched up against Coby White. He put the moves on the guard and drained a stepback midrange bucket to seal the win for the Heat.
Butler led from the front with 28 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Love came off the bench to contribute with 22 points and seven rebounds. Jaquez Jr. was impactful with 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists. His performance comes on the back of a 22-point outing against the same team in their previous contest. The win sees Miami improve to 15-11 and take up sixth place in the East.
Will Jimmy Butler have DeMar DeRozan for company in Miami soon?
Chicago Bulls superstar DeMar DeRozan was seen hanging out with Heat stars Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry after the first game between the two teams. This sparked rumors of a potential DeRozan trade to the Heat.
The Heat were previously linked with Damian Lillard, who sought a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers to South Beach, but later partnered with Giannis Antetokonmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. DeRozan, along with Alex Caruso, generated buzz after reports emerged of the Bulls potentially blowing up their roster by trading two star players — both of whom were linked to the LA Lakers.
A move to Miami would bolster the Heat's offense. DeRozan might not be a great 3-point shooter, but the veteran's mid-range game is a work of art, making him a reliable scoring option alongside Jimmy Butler. In addition, he played with Lowry during his time with the Toronto Raptors.