Without question, the Heat would not have reached the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed without the services of forward Jimmy Butler.
However, a postseason that began with a bang for Butler ended with a whimper, as he struggled for much of Miami's 94–89 loss to the Nuggets in Game 5 of the Finals.
In a rock fight that saw the Heat shoot just 34.4% from the field and 25.7% from three-point range, Butler made just five of his 18 field goal attempts. He finished with a hard-earned 21 points, but had just eight going into the final five minutes and committed a debilitating turnover that paved the way for Denver's victory and first NBA title.
With just under 30 seconds left and his team down by one, Butler threw the ball directly to Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Caldwell-Pope hit both free throws after being fouled and Miami never scored again.
KCP WITH THE BIG STEAL 😱
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 13, 2023
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/RzKZCFUYG5
Butler also took flak for appearing to kick out his leg on a three-pointer to draw a foul on Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon with 3:21 to play. The call was upheld on replay review.
Aaron Gordon was whistled for a foul on this Jimmy Butler three point shot attempt.
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 13, 2023
Denver challenged the call and the call was upheld by the referees.
Thoughts? 🤔pic.twitter.com/NciavNBaLH
Despite the disappointing conclusion, Butler finished the playoffs having averaged 21.8 points, five rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.
