On Saturday, a frustrated Jimmy Butler walked off the court before time expired in the Miami Heat-Orlando Magic game.
As a result, the Heat were assessed a technical foul for only having four players on the court. The call had no effect on the outcome of the game, but it was salt in the wound.
When asked about the technique, Butler made his thoughts clear.
The Magic walked away with a 126-114 overtime win over the Heat. Butler did everything he could to pull Miami to victory, including hitting a wild shot to force overtime.
But it wasn’t enough and his 38-point performance came crashing down.
The veteran has been virtually unstoppable since the All-Star break, averaging 26.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 10 games. Additionally, he is shooting an unfathomable 62.9 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from deep during that time.
Unfortunately, the Heat have not been able to capitalize on his play. They are 4-6 over this 10-game stretch and haven’t been showing many signs of life in the playoffs.
It’s looking more and more like the Heat will find themselves in the playoffs by the end of the regular season. They are currently ranked 7th and have a lot of work to do to catch the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, who both hold a 3.5 game lead over Miami.
Butler has made it abundantly clear that he wants to win, and right now it’s not happening. Miami has had some stunning postseason runs in recent years, but it doesn’t seem like this season’s Heat roster is capable of doing much damage.
If the team made another deep playoff run this season, it would likely surprise people around the league.
But Heat fans can rest assured that Butler will do whatever it takes to get Miami to the promised land, and the hope is that his efforts will one day result in a Heat championship. Time will tell if that’s in the cards for the 33-year-old star, who will be 34 when next season begins.