It's no secret that Jimmy Butler is as capable as any other superstar in the league of dragging his teams to victory. Who could forget the time that Butler reportedly carried the third-stringers to a scrimmage victory against the starters back when he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves? Of course, no one will ever forget the iconic image of Butler's exhaustion during the 2020 NBA Finals when he did everything he could to power the Miami Heat to a crucial Game 5 victory.
And with the Heat missing Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Kyle Lowry due to injuries, they needed that version of Jimmy Butler to show up tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder. And show up he did.
In 38 minutes of action, Butler scored 35 points despite going only 6-17 from the field (0-1 from three). His stellar free-throw shooting buoyed his scoring exploits for the entire night, as he went an incredible 23-23 from the charity stripe. And in doing so, he became only the fourth player in NBA history to make 22 or more free throws in a single game without a single miss, joining James Harden, Dirk Nowitzki, and Dominique Wilkins in that exclusive club, per StatMuse.
Still, some fans may be frustrated by Jimmy Butler's unceasing desire to game the system, as he looked to fish for contact throughout the night. This playstyle doesn't lend itself to the most entertaining viewing experience, with the rhythm of the game crashing to a halt everytime someone takes a trip to the charity stripe.
Nevertheless, no one can argue that that strategy isn't effective, as Butler evidently had done what he needed to do to will the shorthanded Heat to a much-needed victory over the Thunder.
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