Kevin Love is in familiar territory, helping the Miami Heat contend for a title alongside Jimmy Butler. Playing with the six-time All-Star has apparently reminded Love of the times he went to battle with LeBron James during his Cleveland Cavaliers days.
“It reminds me of another player that I played with for several years,” Love said, referring to James. “It’s an amazing thing to watch. He leads us, he sets the tone for us every single night. It’s just a beautiful thing to be a part of.”
Butler has been one of the best players in this year’s postseason, lifting Miami to a 2-1 lead over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Through seven contests in the playoffs, he is averaging 34.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 56.4 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from the 3-point line.
With the 33-year-old leading the way, the No. 8-seeded Heat were able to advance past the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round in five games. That round saw Butler record 37.6 points per match, including a combined 98 points in the final two contests of the series.
What made that impressive, aside from the fact that Miami eliminated the best team from the regular season, was that the Heat superstar dominated a squad featuring elite defenders.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. Meanwhile, Brook Lopez was the runner-up for the award this season. Milwaukee also had Jrue Holiday, a two-time All-Defensive First Team selection that many players believe is one of the league’s finest perimeter defenders.
Butler has not taken his foot off the gas against New York, although an ankle injury has slowed him down a bit. Still, Miami has done a solid job, stealing Game 1 on the road before losing the second game in the series without the star.
But in Game 3, the Heat were all business, running away with a 19-point victory and providing the home crowd with plenty to cheer for.
Love is likely hoping that his teammate’s sublime performances continue and eventually result in a championship run similar to the one he and James had in the 2015-16 campaign. Of course, that is easier said than done as Miami still faces an uphill battle.
But as Butler has shown in the past weeks, anything is possible with this Heat squad.
