Miami Heat: Game 4 is on Jimmy Butler’s shoulders, and his alone

As the Miami Heat prepare for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, it’s Jimmy Butler they’ll be relying on to get the job done and lead them to a win. 

The Miami Heat captured Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals soundly, and for a second, it looked like the Boston Celtics were on their way out of Orlando. Jimmy Butler was playing to his superstar status, and Bam Adebayo was taking full advantage of Daniel Theis.

Goran Dragic continued on with the All-Star level of play he’s produced in these playoffs, and Tyler Herro had strung together two performances of the most versatile degree.

But then, Miami’s shots started coming up empty in Game 3, leading to a 117-106 Boston win. Entering Game 4, there should be a sense of urgency in the Heat locker room. You don’t want this series to get back to an even playing field, not with a potential NBA Finals appearance on the line.

Given the state of the team, the level they’re producing at, and the talent-loaded roster they’re facing, the Miami Heat will need Butler to step up in Game 4 and stop Boston’s momentum. It’s why he came to South Beach after all, whether the superstar will admit it or not.

This is the responsibility that befalls a team’s best player, no matter the circumstance. Butler needs to go out in Game 4 and be the lifeblood of both Miami’s offense and defense. When speaking with the media on Tuesday, the Heat alpha referenced their effort out the gate:

"“I just think we have to start off better.”"

Butler’s not wrong, they’ve starter poorly in each of the three games with Boston this series, behind first-quarter performances of 18, 28, and 22 points in that order. The Celtics are outscoring the Heat by 20 points in three first quarters this series, confirming Butler’s criticisms.

But whose shoulders does the beginning of the game befall other than the team’s star player? It’s on Butler to get these guys going right out of the gate, no matter the requirements. Luckily enough, that’s exactly the mindset he’s got walking into Game 4:

"“As long as we win, there’s no problem with anything.”"

If he needs to help get guys into their spots so they can hit shots, good. If he’s got to be a larger disruptor on the defensive end for guys like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, great. Whatever it is, Butler and head coach Erik Spoelstra need to figure it out before tip-off on Wednesday.

We’ve seen Jimmy Butler turn it on all playoffs, most notably when the Miami Heat needed him to. Can he replicate those explosion-level performances once more in Game 4, and push his team to just one game from an NBA Finals? That’s what it’s going to take to pull out a win.

Jimmy Butler is averaging 20.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.1 steals through 12 games of the postseason. He’s the Miami Heat’s best player, and with that, needs to help lift the rest of his team to the best of their potential and a victory in Game 4 on Wednesday.