Most impressive things about Jimmy Butler’s Game 4 performance

Jimmy Butler lost his mind and put up one of the best playoff performances in NBA history. Butlers’ performance has given Miami Heat a 3-1 series lead over the Milwaukee Bucks. Here are some of the most impressive things from Butler’s historic night:

History was made

• Butler scored the most points in a playoff game in Heat franchise history (56).
• Butler tied the fourth-most points scored in a playoff game, behind only Michael Jordan (63), Elgin Baylor (61) and Donovan Mitchell (57); and tied with Wilt Chamberlain, Jordan and Charles Barkley.
• Butler shot 67% from the field.
• With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Butler had 37 points. Five minutes later dropped 19 points.

Outscored the Bucks on his own

Butler scored 22 points in the first quarter. Then, later, when Butler checked back into the fourth quarter and Milwaukee was up 98-87 with about 8 minutes left in the game, Butler himself outscored the Bucks 22-16.

That is the stuff you do in a video game, not against a No. 1 seed (let alone the early betting favorite to win the Finals).

Jimmy ball

I thought the most impressive thing Butler did last night was how he got his 56 points. What I mean by that is, Miami doesn’t run an offense where the ball is swinging side to side and there is spacing all over the floor. Butler got buckets the old-fashion way. He used screens to get to his spots, got defenders to bite on his pump-fake, took contested shots and, of course, got to the free-throw line.

Butler gets to his spots on the floor and just believes in himself because of all the hard work he has put into his game. We all know Butler isn’t the best shooter in the regular season but, when it gets to the postseason, Butler trusts in his shooting ability.

Against top defenders

Jrue Holiday is widely considered one of the best defenders in the league. Jimmy Butler does not care. When Butler has been defended by Holiday, he has scored 49 points and has gone 19 of 34 from the field.

The same goes for Brook Lopez, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Candidate, shmanidate. Butler has scored 36 points on 16 of 23 shooting when Lopez is the closest defender. He’s made it look easy. And he’s shredding the Bucks’ fourth-rated regular-season defense.

He’ll have to do it one more time for the Heat to wrap up this series and advance to the second round.