Former Chicago Bulls: Jimmy Butler goes off for 40 in upset over Bucks

Former Chicago Bulls star Jimmy Butler put on an absolute show for the Miami Heat in a 40 point night to help them get the best of the Bucks in Game 1.

The Miami Heat were truly impressive in their Game 1 win over the Milwaukee Bucks and defending NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The top-seeded Bucks were the heavy favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference heading into this year’s NBA playoffs. But the Heat look to have something to say about that, and former Chicago Bulls star shooting guard/small forward Jimmy Butler spearheaded their effort to tip off the series.

A player like “Jimmy G. Buckets” that didn’t have the tendency to get too many deep playoff runs in his pro career to date is definitely motivated to take this Heat team to the next level. The Heat looked dominant in their first round playoff series over the four-seed Indiana Pacers. That sweep of the Pacers in the first round then prompted Indy to part ways with fourth-year head coach Nate McMillan just two weeks after he had signed a contract extension.

Butler has been on fire so far in the playoffs. He averaged just shy of 20 points per game in the first round, and a league-leading 2.5 steals per game in the playoffs. And his number of points per game is sure to eclipse the 20-mark after the series opener against the Bucks in the second round.

Out of the 115 points that the Heat scored in their 11 point win over the Bucks, 40 of them came from Butler. He tallied up 40 points to go along with four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block. Butler still leads the playoffs so far in steals per game after posting two in Game 1 against Milwaukee.

Butler shot 13-of-20 from the field, 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, and 12-of-13 from the free-throw line. He was complimented by a big night from first-time All-Star selection and center Bam Adebayo. Bam finished the night with 12 points, 17 rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Adebayo and Butler are proving quickly to be a problem for the Bucks.

Fellow former Bulls Kyle Korver and Robin Lopez made little-to-no impact for their side in this game. Korver at least finished up with double-digit points off the bench, but he was a -4 on the floor on Aug. 31. Lopez did not play due to a coach’s decision.

Butler outscored Giannis by a margin of 22 points in this series opener. Giannis had an off night by his usual standard with 18 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, one steal, one block, and six turnovers.

All in all, Butler really made his mark on this game and gives any Bulls fans that are looking for a former Chicago player to root for in the bubble something special to watch. This is one of the better playoff performances of his career, and we’ll see how this momentum can build into Game 2.

Butler and the Heat will take on Giannis and the Bucks in Game 2 on Sep. 2 at 5:30 p.m. CT. Game 3 will take place on Sep. 4. The Heat are looking to pull what would be one of the bigger upsets possible in this year of the NBA playoffs.