Neither LeBron James, nor Dwyane Wade, nor Shaquille O’Neal, yet all crowned champions with the Miami Heat, have been able to do so well in the past. Heroic and untenable, Jimmy Butler scored 56 points on Monday, April 24, to set a franchise record in the playoffs, and allow his team to overthrow the Milwaukee Bucks at home (119-114).
“To win this victory, in this way, in this atmosphere, in this city, it’s huge,” said the hero of the evening, who took the opportunity to break his personal record in the playoffs. In NBA history, only Michael Jordan (63 points), Elgin Baylor (61 points) and Donovan Mitchell (57 points) have done better than him in the Finals.
Led three sets to one, the Bucks, champions in 2021, are now back to the wall and forced to win the next three games if they do not want to see their season come to an end in the first round of the playoffs.
“Winning in Milwaukee, in front of their home crowd, is how the paths to titles are paved. And there we have an opportunity,” added Butler, already looking ahead to the next game in Wisconsin.
Triple double for Antetokounmpo, back from injury
The 33-year-old winger’s recital, which boasts plenty of high-profile performances in the games that matter, single-handedly reversed a highly compromised situation for the Heat in Game 4. Because the Bucks, taking advantage of the return from injury of their megastar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, author of a triple-double (26 points, 13 assists, 10 assists), still had a 14 unit lead at the start of the fourth quarter, before finally collapsing (41-25), unable to contain the one nicknamed “Jimmy Buckets” (Jimmy baskets), when his hand became hot, even hot.
His 21 points in the final period, including 9 in a row in 57 seconds, just after putting the Heat ahead for the first time in the game with 3 min 17 s remaining, put K.-O. Milwaukee, who then thought they still controlled the game. Especially since Butler seemed to show legitimate fatigue halfway through, after a fiery first quarter.
The winger had indeed managed to keep the Heat afloat, despite a hot start from the Bucks leading quickly by 12 lengths, placing 22 pawns with a 9/10 on shots. Adroit (19/28 on shots), he fought hard as usual (9 rebounds) to make up for the lack of relay in attack, in the absence of Tyler Herro injured in a finger, Bam Adebayo being limited to 15 points ( 8 rebounds).
Which leaves hope for Milwaukee the possibility of a recovery, if Miami can only rely on one-man-shows from its star. The 2021 champion will nevertheless have to prepare an anti-Butler plan on Wednesday at home in Wisconsin. It will also be necessary that the lieutenants of Antetokounmpo, certainly recovered after having missed the two previous meetings – also lost – due to a contusion in the lower back following a heavy fall during match number 1, are in tune.
Because apart from Brook Lopez, much more effective offensively than usual, with 36 points on the clock (11 rebounds, 3 blocks), Jrue Holiday (14 points), clumsy behind the arc (2/11) and Khris Middleton ( 14 points, 8 assists), overwhelmed defensively, were below what is expected of them on the Bucks side.
