Butler scores 40, outduels Antetokounmpo
Jimmy Butler's playoff performance took yet another leap Monday and the Miami Heat secured one of its biggest wins in years against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Butler, who came to the Heat in the offseason as Miami's biggest free agent acquisition since LeBron James in 2010, scored a playoff career-high 40 points _ including 27 in the second half _ to lead the Heat to a 115-104 win against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
With 1:16 left and the Heat leading 109-101, Butler dribbled to the right baseline and hit a tough pull-up shot through a pair of defenders. He turned to Miami's bench and flashed a big grin. The Heat had landed the first blow to take a 1-0 series lead against top-seeded Milwaukee.
Butler's takeover began in the third quarter after Miami erased an 11-point first half deficit.
With 7:55 left in the third and Miami trailing 73-68, Butler went to the line for two free throws. The All-Star wing hit both and the Heat's gamechanging run was on. Butler scored 12 straight for Miami and the Heat flipped its five-point deficit into an 80-78 lead. Butler made five free throws, flushed home a dunk, sank a floater and even drilled a three. The Heat trailed for just 14 seconds the rest of the way as Butler finished 13 of 20 from the field, 12 of 13 from the free-throw line and 2 of 2 from threepoint range. He outdueled Giannis Antetokounmpo, a finalist for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the second straight season, as the superstar forward finished 18 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists _ his lowest scoring and rebounding totals of the NBA playoffs so far.
Before Butler took over, both Miami and Milwaukee leaned their supporting casts. Guard Goran Dragic powered the Heat's offense in the first half, scoring 19 of his 27 points to cut the Bucks' lead to 63-60 at the break. At halftime, Butler had 13 points, Antetokounmpo had nine and All-Star post player Bam Adebayo had just six, although All-Star wing Khris Middleton did lead Milwaukee with 21.
In crunch time, the Heat's new star player delivered his best game yet and MIami, which missed the postseason a year ago, has the upper hand on the best team in the NBA to move three wins away from the Eastern Conference Finals.