On Monday night, Jimmy Butler reminded everyone of his greatness. His Miami Heat entered Game 4 against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks with a surprising 2-1 series lead. With MVP candidate Giannis Antetokoumpo returning to the Bucks lineup, they were looking to win on the road and ride that momentum heading back home.
However, Butler had other plans. The 33-year-old put up an astounding 56 points, the most points in a playoff game in Heat history and the fourth-most in a playoff game in league history. Butler's heroics lifted Miami to a 119-114 victory and a 3-1 stranglehold on the series.
While very impressive, this game was far from the first time Butler has taken over a playoff game. In honor of his incredible showing on Monday, let's look back on a few of Jimmy Butler's greatest playoff performances in a Heat uniform.
4. 2020 NBA Finals Game 3 vs. Lakers: Jimmy Butler's 40-point performance gets Miami back in the Finals
Miami's run in the bubble was one of the most memorable playoff runs in recent memory. Many overlooked the Heat, who were the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 44-29 record. In a shocking twist, the Heat swept the Indiana Pacers, beat the Bucks in five and the Boston Celtics in six to make an improbable run to the NBA Finals. There, they met an old friend in LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The series did not start well for Miami, with L.A. taking the first two games by at least 10 points each. If the Heat lost Game 3, they would have had virtually no chance of coming back. Fortunately for them, Jimmy Butler stepped up when they needed him most.
Butler went off for 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists in a 115-104 Miami victory. He shot remarkably well, hitting 14 of 20 from the field and 12 of 14 from the line. Despite missing Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic, the Heat put themselves back in the series thanks to Butler's outstanding performance. And yet, it arguably wasn't even his best performance of the series.
3. 2020 NBA Finals Game 5 vs. Lakers: 35-point triple-double keeps Miami's championship hopes alive
Unfortunately for the Heat, they couldn't build on their Game 3 win and fell 102-96 in Game 4. With L.A. now holding a commanding 3-1 series lead, Miami's title hopes looked bleak at this point. However, Jimmy Butler gave them a chance with another monster performance in Game 5.
In his second triple-double of the Finals, Butler put up 35 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a 111-108 Miami win. He shot very well once again, going 11-for-19 from the field and 12-for-12 from the line. While his stats were slightly lower than in Game 3, Butler's Game 5 performance narrowly edges it out for his incredible individual effort. After all, this is the game that produced the iconic photo of him exhausted after playing 47 minutes.
Miami's surprising run came to an end when L.A. won the title in Game 6. However, they had a chance in this series almost entirely due to Jimmy Butler.
2. 2022 Eastern Conference Finals vs. Celtics: 47-point outburst forces Game 7 at home
Two years later, Butler and the Heat went on another deep playoff run. This one wasn't as unexpected as the 2020 one, with the Heat going 53-29 and claiming the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but it was still impressive, nonetheless. They beat the Atlanta Hawks in five and the Philadelphia 76ers in six to meet the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, the same opponent they beat to advance to the NBA Finals in 2020.
Jimmy Butler began the series hot, posting 70 points across the opening two games. He then cooled off considerably with just 27 points across the next three games. The Heat headed to the TD Garden for Game 6 facing elimination, needing a huge performance to stay alive. As he has before, Butler delivered when his team needed him most.
Butler set a playoff career-high with 47 points and added nine rebounds and eight assists to power Miami to a 111-103 victory. He played 46 minutes and shot 16-of-29 from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Butler was almost a one-man show, as the next-highest-scorer for Miami was Kyle Lowry with 18 points.
Boston would go on to win Game 7 100-96 despite Butler's 35 points in 48 minutes. Despite the loss, Butler continued to build his playoff legend with how he ended the series.
1. 2023 First Round vs. Bucks: Jimmy Butler's record-setting 56-point performance pushes top-seeded Milwaukee to the brink
Unlike other games on this list, Miami wasn't down entering this game. That didn't mean that Jimmy Butler played with any less of a killer instinct, though. Despite the Bucks getting their superstar back from injury, Butler simply refused to let his team lose.
The situation looked dire with Milwaukee leading by 12 halfway through the fourth quarter. Then the Heat went on a 13-0 run to take the lead and eventually won the game 119-114. In the last six minutes, Butler scored 16 of Miami's 30 points. Now the Heat are just one win away from becoming the first No. 8 seed to win a series since 2012.
Jimmy Butler's 56 points are among the most in a single playoff game in NBA history. The only players to score more in a playoff game are Donovan Mitchell with 57 in 2020, Elgin Baylor with 61 in 1962 and Michael Jordan with 63 in 1986. Butler simply made history on Monday night, adding to his impeccable legacy in the NBA playoffs.
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