Throughout his Miami Heat tenure, Jimmy Butler has gifted fans with remarkable performances that will always be remembered. Not only were these outings impressive, but they would come on the NBA’s biggest stage. Although he may deny the notion, “Playoff Jimmy” is a real thing.
It doesn’t matter what seed the Heat are or how much they will be counted out; Butler's postseason elevation makes him always show up when it matters the most. For his Heat career, Butler has averaged 21.3 points, but in Miami's recent runs over the years, those point totals have risen to nearly 30 points per game.
In typical Butler fashion, his best games repping a Heat jersey have all come in postseason basketball.
5. 45 points vs Atlanta Hawks (2022)
This outing came during game two of the Heat’s 2022 first round series against the Atlanta Hawks. Butler scorched the Trae Young led team that was coming off an Eastern Conference finals run the season prior. He put up 45 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists on 15/25 shooting (60%) and 11/12 from the free throw line (92%).
Miami would go on to win the game and go up 2-0 in the series, which eventually led to a gentleman’s sweep on route to advancing.
4. 40-point triple-double vs LA Lakers (2020)
The Heat’s first underdog run came in the bubble back in the 2020 postseason; the first year of the Butler era. The fifth seed Heat would remarkably go on to reach the NBA Finals against the LA Lakers in which Butler went toe-to-toe with former 2X Heat champion LeBron James.
To avoid falling into a 3-0 series hole, Butler put up a 40-point, 11 rebound and 13 assist triple-double along with a pair of blocks and steals. He became the first player ever to outscore, outrebound and out-assist James in a Finals game.
3. 42 points vs Milwaukee Bucks (2023)
Butler's first round masterpiece against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023 concluded in a gentleman sweep on the road. He finished them off by recording 42 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists while hitting the game-tying alley oop basket to send the game to overtime.
There were plenty of clutch buckets from him in the extra period and even prior to the game-tying shot, where he led a near 20-point comeback and told Jrue Holiday “you can’t guard me.”
2. 47 points vs Boston Celtics (2022)
The second greatest game of Butler’s career came being down 3-2 against the Boston Celtics in the 2022 Eastern Conference finals. In a hostile crowd at TD Garden, Butler ran the Celtics off their home floor on a banged up knee.
He put together the third highest playoff scoring game in Heat franchise history with 47 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists on 16/29 (55%) shooting.
1. 56 points vs Milwaukee Bucks (2023)
“Butler, long shot… GOOD!” Without a doubt, the greatest game of Butler’s career was his 56-point explosion to go up 3-1 against the top seed Bucks in 2023. He shot 19/28 (68%) in the historical performance and tied for the fourth highest playoff scoring game of all-time.
His game five the next outing had him record 96 points combined in back-to-back games. Butler's first-round performance that year may very much be the greatest in NBA history. He averaged 37.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals on 60% shooting and 44% from 3-point range for the series.