When the Philadelphia 76ers acquired star forward Jimmy Butler, Sixers fans envisioned playoff performances that would elevate the team to new heights. On Sunday afternoon, Butler awarded them with an excellent showing, but couldn't push the Sixers to victory. Sixers head coach Brett Brown was still proud of his star, mentioning how impressive his hustle and athleticism are:

Jimmy Butler was Philadelphia's best player on the court, and it wasn't even close. He scored 29 points to go along with 11 rebounds. He shot 50 percent from the field.

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There were several impressive takeaways from Butler's game. The two-way forward did all this scoring while being the primary defender on Kawhi Leonard, a daunting task. Jimmy Butler did all he could against Leonard and stayed with him closely on several possessions only to be burned on a tough fadeaway. Still, Butler expended a significant amount of energy on defense guarding the best player on the floor, and still managed to put up 29 and be the focal point of the offense. Brett Brown took notice of that.

Another impressive takeaway from Butler's game is that he almost single-handedly willed the Sixers to a win. The only other Philadelphia players with mildly respectable offensive showings in Game 4 were J.J Reddick and Ben Simmons. The two combined for the same amount that Butler scored, 29.

Brett Brown knows that when facing an elite team, it is nearly impossible to beat it with oue player. If Jimmy Butler can play like this in Game 5 and receive even a moderate amount of support, the Sixers and Brett Brown could be heading back to Philadelphia with a 3-2 lead after Tuesday's next clash in Toronto.