The Miami Heat are locked in a battle for the playoff spot with the Philadelphia 76ers. The two teams ended their season in the higher bracket of the play-in, resting at the 7th (76ers) and 8th (Heat) seed. The Sixers aim to make the best out of Joel Embiid’s return from his knee injury, even if it means facing the Boston Celtics in the first round. For Miami, the play-in matchup allows Jimmy Butler to unleash his playoff alter-ego early. However, with right under 2 seconds left in the first quarter of the game, the Heat fans went through a scary sight.

Jimmy Butler, with just 1.5 seconds left in the 1st quarter, was seen on the floor while grabbing his right knee in pain. The instance after Kevin Love threw a quarter-back pass to Butler near the 76ers’ basket. As Jimmy pump-faked, he managed to fake out Kelly Oubre Jr. However, as Oubre leaped in the air, he collided with Jimmy’s leg, leaving the six-time all-star on the floor. After the stoppage, he was seen limping across the floor.

Luckily, Butler decided to play through the pain. As Oubre garnered a foul for the collision, JB sank a free throw to help Miami end the stretch on a 23-22 lead.

Regardless, it seemed like Butler carried through the aftermath of the scare. Jimmy Butler is coming off games that saw him touch the 20-point mark with just 12-14 attempts. However, it took him 18 shots to reach just 19 points tonight (5 made shots). While Miami managed to mount a 51-39 lead at the half, they soon gave it up. Moreover, Jimmy yet again felt the sting from the 1st quarter, as he was seen limping badly with 6 minutes left in the final buzzer.

Looking back at Jimmy Butler’s playoff stints

When the NBA transitions to the post-season, Jimmy Butler amps up his game, bringing forth his iconic Playoff Jimmy moniker. While he plays at a superstar level throughout the season, Playoff Jimmy, to sum it up, is just better.

His increased production was first noted when the veteran led the Heat to the NBA finals in the bubble, all while starting a coffee business in a restricted capacity and loudly dribbling the basketball at 4 am. Since then, Jimmy has hugely elevated his production in the playoffs, shining brightly in high-stake moments.

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In the 2021-22 season, Jimmy Butler posted 21.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals throughout 57 games. In the playoffs, he surged for 27.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals, while maintaining a 50% efficiency, leading the Heat to the conference finals. He did the same previous year, churning 22.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in the regular season and topping it with a near 27 points and 6.5 rebounds in the playoffs.

Update: The Heat fell short of a point, losing the 104-105 to Philly. As the Sixers clinch the 7th seed, the Heat will now face the winner of the Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks matchup.