Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat laughed in the face of a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit. After stealing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on the road, Butler and the eighth-seeded Heat were right back at it in Game 2. Armed with a little extra motivation from a bear-poking Grant Williams earlier in the period, Butler came to life, scoring nine of his team-high 27 points in the final six-and-a-half minutes, including these two when he beat Williams on a drive to the basket that culminated with a go-ahead foul line pull-up jumper with 2:33 to play. The All-NBA Second Team selection’s clutch shot gave the Heat a two-point advantage it would not relinquish, and Butler added eight rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks in the stunning 111-105 victory to take a 2-0 series lead over the Boston Celtics on May 19, 2023.