Jimmy Butler’s epic 56-point performance gives Heat win, pushes NBA’s best team to the brink

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Jimmy Butler delivered a playoff performance for the ages and helped Miami Heat to a Game 4 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night and pushed the top team in the Eastern Conference to the brink of elimination.

The star forward scored 56 points on 19-of-28 shooting and added nine rebounds and two assists as the Heat put away the Bucks 119-114. The Heat have a 3-1 series lead.

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© Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports Apr 24, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) drives toward the baseline as Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) defends in the third quarter during game four of the 2023 NBA Playoffs at Kaseya Center. Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Butler became the first Heat player to score 50 or more points in a single playoff game. It’s more than LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Shaquille O’Neal have scored in a playoff game.

“It feels good to be the Miami Heat right now,” Butler said after the game. “For my team, to get this dub, in this way, in this atmosphere, in this city, it’s huge.”

Bam Adebayo had 15 points and eight rebounds and Gabe Vincent scored 10 points and dished out eight assists.

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The Bucks were up by as much as 15 points during the game and started the fourth quarter up 14 points when Grayson Allen sunk a 27-foot three-pointer. Behind Butler, the Heat would rally back and stun the Bucks.

Milwaukee, which won the NBA championship only two seasons ago, now faces an elimination game at home after having the best record in the league during the regular season. Butler said he was looking forward to potentially ending the Bucks’ season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo battled through a back injury to play 38 minutes in the game. He recorded a triple-double, scoring 26 points, dishing out 13 assists and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Brook Lopez led the Bucks with 36 points in 39 minutes. He had 11 rebounds as well.

Miami made the Eastern Conference Finals last season only to lose to the Boston Celtics in seven games. The Bucks face the possibility of being eliminated from the first round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2018 playoffs when the team was coached by Joe Prunty.

© AP Photo/Marta Lavandier Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) gestures after dunking the ball during the second half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Miami Heat, Monday, April 24, 2023, in Miami. AP Photo/Marta Lavandier

Game 5 is set for Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m. ET.