Fourth-quarter heroics by Butler, Dragic lead Heat over Indiana
■ Jimmy Butler scored 28 points in his first playoff game with the Heat and Miami held off the Indiana Pacers to open the 2020 NBA playoffs with a win. Guard Goran Dragic helped seal it with 14 points in the fourth quarter.
GAME 1: HEAT 113, PACERS 101
Jimmy Butler waited an extra three months to finally suit up for his first playoff game with the Miami Heat.
He powered the Heat to its best start since the Big 3 era in the first half of the season, then waited out a months-long hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic just as it was time to start gearing up for the postseason.
He fell in love with Miami and had the city anxiously awaiting the postseason, when he has always elevated his game to another level.
The playoff version of the All-Star wing delivered Tuesday in his first postseason game with the Heat. Butler led the way with 28 points, four assists, four steals and two blocks, and Miami opened the 2020 NBA playoffs with a 113-101 win against the Indiana Pacers in Lake Buena Vista.
The Heat is into the postseason win column for the first time since 2018 and three victories away from winning its first postseason series since 2016 after taking a 1-0 series lead on the Pacers at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Indiana, already without star post player Domantas Sabonis, now faces more roster questions, too, after guard Victor Oladipo went down with an eye injury in the first quarter.
Butler, who joined Miami last year as its biggest free-agent acquisition since LeBron James and Chris Bosh teamed up with Dwyane Wade in 2010, set the tone.
A year ago, Butler helped carry the Philadelphia 76ers all the way within one shot of Eastern Conference Finals, providing a steadying offensive presence for an otherwise inexperienced group of young stars. The Heat cast him into the same role this season and it asked him to play the part in Game 1.
All season long, Miami leaned on contributions from unexpected — often undrafted — young players. On Tuesday, sharpshooting swingman Duncan Robinson went 2 of 8 from three-point range and Rookie of the Year finalist Kendrick Nunn didn’t even play, so Butler took 15 shots and 12 free throws to keep the offense chugging when it was failing elsewhere.
All-Star post player Bam Adebayo added 17 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, and guard Goran Dragic finished with 24 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter after a double-digit lead shrunk to one.