“ I guarantee I'll be back next. » This is what he said Jimmy Butler after his missed 3-point buzzer beater on the Knicks floor three weeks ago. This night against the Bulls, the Heat player did not miss his shot.
With less than 20 seconds remaining, Nikola Vucevic had just missed a complicated left-handed layup in front of Kevin Love, while the two teams were tied (116-116). Jimmy Butler then got the ball and didn't let go. Despite two timeouts available, Erik Spoelstra preferred to let it happen.
“ I can't even say it was a coaching choice. It was the most obvious decision. Tied on the score, we have been in this situation enough times to know where the ball is going to go. »In the hands of its leader therefore. The coach adds: “ Everyone in the room agreed that Jimmy should make this decision. If we request a time-out, […] the probability of getting that kind of shot would have been much lower. »
His leader thus pulled up the leather while Kyle Lowry pushed him, as well as Kevin Love, to start the attack without delay. The Heat point guard pointed to a space for the interior to set a screen, followed by a second screen set by the former Raptors player himself. Rather than DeMar DeRozan, Jimmy Butler thus found himself, through the game of “switches”, with the smaller Coby White on his back.
“Everyone can take this shot”
A dribble to his left, a “stepback” (like against the Knicks) a good meter behind the free throw line and the Heat player could finish off the Floridians at the buzzer.
“ Everyone can take this shot », pretends to put the hero of the evening into perspective, while Billy Donovan looked grim: “ He went into his zone, I think we can definitely learn something from that. » « He was very comfortable in this area. There's nothing like that kind of shot, I wish I knew what it felt like “, adds his Heat counterpart.
According to Heat.com, it was his second game-winning shot (with less than a second to play after this shot), after his “alley-oop” against the Rockets last year, tying LeBron James, Tim Hardaway and Voshon Lenard in franchise history. Only Dwyane Wade has done better in the Heat jersey with three such shots.
“ He's the best way to finish a match. We put him in this kind of situation, we all know who he is and he showed it again », Compliments Kevin Love (22 points), whose teammate finished with 28 points (9/18 on shots).
| Jimmy Butler | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2011-12 | CHI | 42 | 9 | 40.5 | 18.2 | 76.8 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 2.6 |
| 2012-13 | CHI | 82 | 26 | 46.7 | 38.1 | 80.3 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 8.6 |
| 2013-14 | CHI | 67 | 39 | 39.7 | 28.3 | 76.9 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 13.1 |
| 2014-15 | CHI | 65 | 39 | 46.2 | 37.8 | 83.4 | 1.8 | 4.1 | 5.8 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2015-16 | CHI | 67 | 37 | 45.5 | 31.1 | 83.2 | 1.2 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 20.9 |
| 2016-17 | CHI | 76 | 37 | 45.5 | 36.7 | 86.5 | 1.7 | 4.5 | 6.2 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 23.9 |
| 2017-18 | MIN | 59 | 37 | 47.4 | 35.0 | 85.4 | 1.3 | 4.0 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 22.2 |
| 2018-19 * | All Teams | 65 | 34 | 46.2 | 34.7 | 85.5 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 5.3 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 18.7 |
| 2018-19 * | PHL | 55 | 33 | 46.1 | 33.8 | 86.8 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 5.3 | 4.0 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 18.2 |
| 2018-19 * | MIN | 10 | 36 | 47.1 | 37.8 | 78.7 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 5.2 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 21.3 |
| 2019-20 | MIA | 58 | 34 | 45.5 | 24.4 | 83.4 | 1.8 | 4.8 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2020-21 | MIA | 52 | 34 | 49.7 | 24.5 | 86.3 | 1.8 | 5.1 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 21.5 |
| 2021-22 | MIA | 57 | 34 | 48.0 | 23.3 | 87.0 | 1.8 | 4.1 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 21.4 |
| 2022-23 | MIA | 64 | 33 | 53.9 | 35.0 | 85.0 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 22.9 |
| 2023-24 | MIA | 21 | 34 | 46.2 | 39.6 | 88.4 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 21.5 |
| Total | 775 | 33 | 46.7 | 32.4 | 84.4 | 1.6 | 3.7 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 18.3 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
