Heat set unreal record without Jimmy Butler not seen in 57 years

The Miami Heat's unheralded players stepped up in the absence of Jimmy Butler on Tuesday night, setting a playoff record not seen in 57 years.

The Miami Heat dropped a 111-105 decision to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, but not before setting an NBA Playoff record not seen in 57 years without their superstar Jimmy Butler, who was ruled out due to a rolled ankle.

Led by undrafted players Caleb Martin, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Duncan Robinson, the Heat played brilliant team basketball on offense, racking up 24 assists to just six turnovers on the evening.

The final result wasn't what Miami wanted, but the record they set was simply incredible.

According to ESPN Stats & Info on Twitter, the Heat's 74 points by undrafted players are the most by any team in a playoff game in the modern era.

Forward Caleb Martin, a fourth-year pro who went undrafted and played his college ball at Nevada, finished with 22 points and eight rebounds on the evening. Guard Gabe Vincent, who originally went undrafted out of UC-Santa Barbara, scored 21 points to go along with five assists. Fellow undrafted players Max Strus, Duncan Robinson and Haywood Highsmith added 31 points between them, with Strus scoring 17 points.

Martin staked the Heat to an 82-81 lead on a fourth-quarter layup, but the Knicks outscored the Heat 35-28 over the course of the fourth quarter to take home the victory and knot the series at one game apiece.

It will get lost in tonight’s loss, but Caleb Martin’s offensive confidence is something to bookmark going forward

He just slid into the Jimmy Butler role and dropped 22/8 on 53/50/100 while serving as the POA defenderpic.twitter.com/1SWDp5NOdf

— AB (@aburnshoops) May 3, 2023

The series now shifts to Miami's Kaseya Center for Saturday afternoon's Game 3. With less than five seconds on the clock, a confident Butler waved at Knicks fans, flashing a sly look suggesting he may have a few more Herculean performances left in the tank.

For the Miami Heat, Tuesday's loss was an unwelcome setback to be sure. But the play of Martin, Vincent, Strus and others suggests that Butler could have plenty of backup if Knicks want to get into another shootout on Saturday.