Despite Jimmy Butler’s stellar performance so far in the Miami Heat, his show in the Game 5 finals loss to the Denver Nuggets erased all the good he had done so far in the minds of many.
The postseason that started great for Jimmy Butler ended below average, as he struggled for much of Miami’s 94–89 loss to the Nuggets in the championship finals.
In the game that saw the Heat shoot just 34.4% from the field and 25.7% from three-point range, Butler made just five of his 18 field goal attempts. He finished with a hard-earned 21 points, but had just eight going into the final five minutes and committed a debilitating turnover that paved the way for Denver’s victory and first NBA title.
Butler went flat on tha gas after been almost invisible for the first three quaters of the game, scoring 13 consecutive points for the Heat and nearly dragging them to victory and force Game 6 in Miami, before he made his costliest mistake of the season.
Fans were stunned when with few seconds left and his team down by one, Butler threw the ball directly to Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Caldwell-Pope hit both free throws after being fouled and Miami never scored again.
Butler also took criticized for appearing to kick out his leg on a three-pointer to draw a foul on Nuggets forwardAaron Gordonwith 3:21 to play. The call was upheld on replay review.
Jimmy Butler might still be affected by the sprained ankle he suffered a few weeks back, but it’s moments like these that he was expected to shine shine.
The Miami Heat made history by becoming only the second No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals, and to Jimmy Butler, its still not game over yet, as he says Heat will win a championship.
