On Saturday, a frustrated Jimmy Butler walked off the court before time expired in the Miami Heat-Orlando Magic game.
Last night Jimmy Butler walked off the court in the middle of the game.
I don’t blame him pic.twitter.com/MFpg6otGIv
— Buhownz 🪼 (@Demar305) March 12, 2023
As a result, the Heat were assessed a technical foul for having just four players on the court. The call didn’t impact the outcome of the game whatsoever, but it was salt in the wound.
When Butler was asked about the technical, he made his thoughts clear.
“I don’t give a f—,” he said.
The Magic walked away with a 126-114 win over the Heat in overtime. Butler did everything he could to drag Miami to a win, including hitting a wild shot to force overtime.
JIMMY BUTLER FORCES OT 😱 pic.twitter.com/ExowzSWKIZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 12, 2023
But it wasn’t enough, and his 38-point performance went to waste.
The veteran has been virtually unstoppable since the All-Star break, averaging 26.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per contest in 10 games. Moreover, he’s shooting an unfathomable 62.9 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from deep during that stretch.
Unfortunately, the Heat haven’t been able to take advantage of his play. They’re 4-6 in that 10-game span and haven’t been showing many signs of life in the playoff race.
It’s looking more and more like the Heat will find themselves in the play-in tournament once the regular season ends. They’re in the No. 7 spot currently and have a lot of work to do in order to catch up to the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, who both have 3.5-game leads over Miami.
Butler has made it abundantly clear that he wants to win, and right now, that’s not happening. Miami has had some magical postseason runs in recent years, but it doesn’t seem like this season’s Heat roster is capable of doing much damage.
If the team were to go on another deep playoff run this season, it would likely come as a surprise to folks around the league.
But Heat fans can be sure that Butler will do whatever it takes to get Miami to the promised land, and the hope is that his efforts will one day result in a Heat championship. Time will tell if that’s in the cards for the 33-year-old star, who will be 34 by the time next season begins.
