Butler, Strus’ late-game heroics lead Heat to 8th seed in NBA Playoffs

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, front, shouts to his players during the first half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game against the Chicago Bulls, Friday, April 14, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) (Rebecca Blackwell, Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

MIAMI – Once again, when the game mattered most in a 4th quarter do-or-die situation, Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler took over.

The Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls 102-91 at the Kaseya Center to claim the NBA’s 8th and final seed in the Eastern Conference on Friday night.

Recommended Videos



Butler finished the play-in game with 31 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Heat forward Max Strus also finished with 31 points on the night, matching Jimmy Butler, while knocking down seven of his 12 attempts from beyond the arc in order to help lead Miami to a victory.

It was a back-and-forth game as Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan finished with 26 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds of his own.

However, despite an early second-half comeback, the Bulls were stifled by the Heat’s defense in the closing two minutes of the game.

After Friday’s loss, the Bulls were eliminated from playoff contention.

The Heat will now gear up for a matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks as the Heat look to knock off the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Tip-off for the Heat vs. Bucks is set for 5:00 p.m. Sunday at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Heat and Bucks split four meetings this season, both going 2-0 at home.

Butler averaged 22 points per game to lead all players in the season series.

Adebayo and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo both averaged 19.5, and Herro averaged 19.


About the Author:

Ryan Mackey is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Long Island, New York, and has lived in Sunrise, Florida since 1994.