After an excellent effort in Game 4 on Monday, Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat have put the Milwaukee Bucks in a difficult position. Butler led the Heat to a 119-114 victory over the Bucks with a career-high 56 points. Butler's 56 points rank fourth in a playoff game, trailing just Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor, and Donovan Mitchell.
Miami now leads the series 3-1 and can wrap it up in Game 5 on Wednesday in Milwaukee. Butler highlighted his joy at earning the victory for his squad, adding that it was significant for both the city and the team.
The Bucks, who had the best record in the NBA this season and won the title in 2021, must now win three straight games to escape elimination. Only 13 teams in league history have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series, with the Cleveland Cavaliers being the most recent.
Milwaukee led by 12 points in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter, but Miami rallied, led by Butler. Butler scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, including nine straight Miami points late in the game, to give Miami a 114-109 lead. In the first quarter, he also scored 22 of Miami's 28 points.
Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo's triple-double and Brook Lopez's outstanding performance, the Bucks were unable to overcome Butler's brilliance. Tyler Herro, one of Miami's leading scorers, missed most of the game due to a fractured hand suffered in Game 1 against the Bucks.
Butler has a propensity for putting on strong playoff performances, garnering him the moniker "Jimmy Buckets" or "Playoff Jimmy." Last season, he had 47 and 41 point games against Boston in the conference finals, and he had 40 and 35 point games against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 Finals.
Miami struggled offensively all season, but in the playoffs, they've found a combination of offense and defense that reminds them of last season's club. Butler admitted that his team will continue to do what they believe is feasible despite the lack of outside belief in their talents.