Page 15 - aruba-today-20220421

A15
sports Thursday 21 april 2022
Bubble Jimmy, or a new version, back at right time for Heat

By TIM REYNOLDS right? You can talk about
AP Basketball Writer it, but if you're not about it
MIAMI (AP) — These are and you don't show it, it's
Jimmy Butler's three high- different. He shows it. He
est-scoring games in a shows it when he plays, he
Miami uniform: 40 points shows it when he comes to
against Milwaukee, 40 work. He's always here. He's
points against the Los An- on time and ready to do his
geles Lakers, 45 points thing and go out there and
against Atlanta. And those go to battle."
efforts have quite a bit in Butler's statistical averages
common. through the first two games
He had at least 20 shot at- of this playoff run for the
tempts and 12 free throws top-seeded Heat: 33 points,
in each of those games. 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists
The Heat won all three con- per game, on 60% shooting
tests. from the field and — most
And all three happened in surprisingly — 56% from
the playoffs. the 3-point line, an area
Butler's best Miami mo- that hasn't exactly been a
ments tend to come when strength of his throughout
it matters most — the post- this season. He's gotten
season. His 45-point effort to the foul line more than
against the Hawks on Tues- Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler shoots a three-point basket as Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre any three of his Heat team-
Hunter (12) defends during the first half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series,
day night gave top-seed- Tuesday, April 19, 2022, in Miami. mates have combined in
ed Miami a 2-0 series lead Associated Press the series, plus has commit-
in their Eastern Conference ted only two fouls in 72 min-
first-round matchup that re- down that comparison. Tuesday, was nearly eight Butler is unapologetically utes of play.
sumes on Friday in Atlanta. That moniker comes from years ago — May 12, 2014, and manically driven, al- Again, though, he insists
He said afterward that he when Butler was Miami's when LeBron James scored most always grating on that this isn't Bubble Jimmy.
simply took what the de- best player at the NBA's a team playoff record 49 opponents and sometimes "We're a different team
fense gave him. His team- season-restart bubble at for Miami in a win at Brook- even grating on team- and I'm a different player,"
mates and coaches said Walt Disney World two lyn. The previous time it mates — people are still Butler said. "We're better
it was far more impressive years ago, when he carried happened at home was talking about the dustup this way."
than that. the Heat on an improbable March 3, 2014, when James Butler had with Spoelstra There is a work-life balance,
"Jimmy is a max guy, a go- run to the NBA Finals. He's put on a mask to protect a and Udonis Haslem dur- even at this time of year for
guy, a killer," Heat coach still Miami's best player, but facial injury and scored a ing an in-game huddle a Butler.
Erik Spoelstra said. "Howev- this is a new version, he in- team regular-season re- month ago. But nights such After Miami's Game 1 win
er you want to describe it, sists. cord 61 for Miami in a win as Tuesday remind the Heat on Sunday afternoon, Butler
who cares? He knows how "I'm a different player now over Charlotte. of the level that Butler can talked about getting out of
to win. He knows how to then I was then and I'm OK The Heat were the only reach at this time of year, the arena quickly to spend
help teams win. The game with that," Butler said. "I just team since James' big when a championship is all time with his daughter be-
is played on both sides of always want to play bas- playoff night against the that matters. fore she went to sleep that
the floor. It's played with IQ. ketball the right way and Nets in 2014 that hadn't "I think you have to have night. Then, and only then,
It's played with toughness. do whatever it takes to had a player score 45 that dark side, kind of that would he turn his attention
It's played with making help this team, this organi- points in a game since. But- demeanor that you need toward Game 2. And in
plays in those winning mo- zation win. That's why they ler changed that, emphati- to push other people to be the hours before Game 2,
ments. It's not necessarily brought me here." cally, while sticking to his better," Heat point guard he had his non-basketball
what everybody thinks it is." The previous time a Heat credo of just doing "what- Kyle Lowry said. "But you habits as well. He listened
It wasn't Bubble Jimmy, player scored at least 45 ever it takes to help this also have to have the tal- to the Backstreet Boys. ("I'm
either. Butler himself shot points in a game, before team win." ent and work ethic to do it, a huge fan," Butler said.)q

Suns' Booker has hamstring strain, sta-

tus vs. Pels uncertain

By DAVID BRANDT tried to defend a New Or- to the Milwaukee Bucks in
PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix leans shot on a fast break. six games last season. They
Suns All-Star guard Devin The 25-year-old was sprint- faced adversity during that
Booker has a right ham- ing downcourt, jumped run as well: All-Star guard
string strain, clouding his and then grabbed at his Chris Paul missed time with
status for the remainder of right hamstring after he a shoulder injury and CO-
the team's first-round play- landed. VID-19 during the playoffs.
off series against the New The Pelicans won the game Booker is the team's leading
Orleans Pelicans. 125-114 to even the series scorer, averaging nearly 27
The Suns said Booker's MRI at 1. points per game during the
on Wednesday confirmed Game 3 is on Friday in New regular season. He had 31 Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives as New Orleans Pel-
a "mild" hamstring strain. Orleans. points — all in the first half icans forward Herbert Jones (5) defends during the first half of
Booker was hurt in Tues- The top-seeded Suns are — when he left Tuesday's Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Tuesday,
day's Game 2 loss during trying to make it back to game against the Pelicans April 19, 2022, in Phoenix. Associated Press
the third quarter when he the NBA Finals after losing with the hamstring injury.q