The Miami Heat bounced back from a tough loss to the Indiana Pacers by beating the Orlando Magic on Monday night, 107-90. It was a relatively easy win for Jimmy Butler and company as they took control of the game right from the start.
The Magic tried to stage a rally in the second half, but the Heat were just too much, particularly Butler who finished with 36 points, missing just six of his 21 attempts. What made his scoring output even more impressive was that he didn't even shoot a single three-pointer.
After the win, which improved the Heat to 2-1, Butler said he didn't do anything special against the Magic (via ESPN).
“I shot the same shots. They just happened to go in tonight. Let my defense lead to my offense.”
But for Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, Butler is definitely a special talent. Since his arrival in South Beach, the All-Star forward has spearheaded the team's culture, embracing his leadership role right away while making sure he's accountable for their blunders as well.
“Jimmy is an elite scorer. He's also an elite playmaker and he's an elite defender. He can do a lot of different things.”
The former Marquette standout has always been a versatile player on both ends, which sometimes makes people forget that Butler can indeed get buckets. What's his nickname again?
The Heat can go for win no. 3 against the Eastern Conference rival Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
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