Jimmy Butler has had a lot of big plays in his career with the Miami Heat, and after a game-winning alley-oop against the Houston Rockets, Butler likened himself to Chad Johnson, one of the best NFL wide receivers over the last couple decades.
"I'm always open. I'm like a football player, and I mean that. @ochocinco said it best. He was always open, and I'm a lot like him."
— Jimmy Butler on the game-winner@MiamiHEAT | #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/QqO8YGOio1
— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) February 11, 2023
The alley-oop for the win was something special to behold. Not only was it a pretty thunderous slam, but the score came with less that one second left on the clock. To make matters even more impressive, the shot was a direct result from a perfect inbounds pass from Gabe Vincent.
Truly, everything had to be perfect — from the play itself, to the pass from Vincent, to the route that Butler took to the basket. When looking at the play, it is somewhat reminiscent of a perfect touchdown pass to win a game.
JIMMY BUTLER WALK-OFF pic.twitter.com/DZddTW7WCX
— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCom) February 11, 2023
When it comes to the receiver that Butler compared himself to, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that he chose to shout out Johnson. The two seem to have some kind of friendship, and it even once led to Johnson himself dishing on a Heat rumor after he spoke with Butler.
As for the game itself, it definitely was important for Miami to get the win over the Rockets. Houston currently has the worst record in the entire NBA and has managed to secure just 13 wins so far this season. A loss against them would have been a pretty disappointing letdown.
That is especially true given the fact that the Heat are continuing to solidify their hold on the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. As fans know well, holding onto at least the No. 6 spot is crucial because that is the final seed in both conferences that gets to advance straight into the playoff bracket without having to compete in the play-in tournament.
Miami is 31-25 on the campaign and has a 1.5-game lead for its current spot.
Butler’s game-winning heroics overshadowed an otherwise pretty lackluster performance. With the game-winning score, Butler finished the game with just 16 points, four rebounds and four assists.
It was guard Tyler Herro who managed to keep the Heat alive through the majority of the game by registering 31 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Vincent, who was on the passing end of the game-winner, finished with five points, three rebounds and four assists.
