In the recent NBA Finals, the eighth seeded Miami Heat pulled off a huge upset against the first seeded Miluackee Bucks, and this was all due to a single player. Currently averaging 37.6 points off approximately 60% shooting from the field, 33 year old Jimmy Butler has come to win with a burning passion.

Having a disappointing regular season, the Heat managed to fall from their high graces of last season, and after their Play-In loss at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks, fans didn’t expect much of the Heat moving forward. Clearly this lit something within Butler, as he’s been one of the best players in basketball within the past few weeks.

Watching the Marquette alumni forward take huge leaps in his play following the start of the post-season has been nothing new, as fans have been witnessing something change within him after the regular season since “The Bubble” in 2020, though he may be playing the best basketball of his career at the moment. Pulling off the biggest upset so far in the 2022-2023 Playoffs, Butler has even cemented himself in NBA history, scoring 56 points in a single game, the fourth highest scoring achievement during the NBA’s postseason.

With NBA star Giannis Antentokounmpo of the Bucks injuring himself within the first game, Butler took full advantage of the opportunity and used it to his advantage, stealing victory in the first game of the series. Even though he would go on to lose the next game, once he returned to his home stadium in Miami, Florida, he began playing even better than he had been before, allowing the Heat to win the series in just five games, a term known in basketball as a “gentleman’s sweep”.

As the playoffs advance further, Butler and the Heat are set to face off against the fifth seeded New York Knicks led by guard Jalen Brunson and forward Julius Randle. Sure to be a challenging matchup, the two teams play their first game this Sunday at 1:00 PM, with the Knicks having the home court advantage in the Madison Square Garden Arena.

Fans of the Heat can only hope Butler continues his hot streak, as if he continues to play this way, despite the team’s structural problems and the loss of rotational player and former all-star Victor Oladipo to a torn tendon in his knee, the Heat may continue to advance and may even be in contention for a championship against all odds. I eagerly await to see what comes next from the aptly dubbed “Playoff Jimmy”, and hope the next series will be as entertaining as the last.