On Monday, Jimmy Butler turned up his game in the second half to lead the Miami Heat to a 115-104 Game 1 upset of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Dwyane Wade, no stranger himself to raising his game under pressure, let it be known that Butler is a different player in the postseason.
Hello everyone. If you haven’t met Playoff Jimmy. You’re welcome!
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) September 1, 2020
Unlike some superstars, Butler doesn’t take a ton of shots throughout the game. He’s typically been the type of star to let his teammates do their thing for three quarters and wait for money time to really assert himself.
After averaging 19.9 points a game in the regular season, Butler had a monster 40-point performance in Game 1 to key Miami’s victory.
The Heat looked to be in trouble early when they fell behind 40-29 at the end of the first quarter. But they slowed down the pace and came to within three at halftime.
Butler really shone in the fourth quarter, when Miami pulled away from the Bucks and secured the win.
If the Heat’s young players continue to play well under pressure, “Playoff Jimmy” may be enough for the team to actually knock the Bucks out of the playoffs.
