The Butler Did It: “Jimmy the Heat” dishes late, gives Warriors their 3rd straight loss in Miami, 116-109
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT PhilBoxing.com Thu, 03 Nov 2022
(Fremont, California) --- Beating the champion is easier said than done. Such axiom rings true in boxing, basketball and every contest concocted by man and woman. Five NBA home teams have said and done just that to the current titlists, Golden State Warriors, early this season.
Last Tuesday night, that basketball team was the Miami Heat and their head coach Eric Spoelstra---the NBA’s only Filipino and Asian-American to win 2 NBA titles as head coach (with the Heat). Just to reiterate what is on the record, Mr. Spoelstra was 2X NBA champion (2012, 2013), 2X NBA All-Star Game head coach (2013, 2022), NBCA Co-Coach of the Year (2017), and Top 15 Coaches in NBA History. From the sidelines at the sold-out FTX Arena (capacity 19,600) in Miami, Florida, Mr. Spoelstra celebrated his 52nd birthday and his team made certain he was happy.
But let us focus on last night’s winner, the Heat, who performed as if they were the #1 contender, snapping a 2-game slide and consequently extending the Warriors’ skid to three losses, four on the road, and five total.
Jimmy Butler, the Heat’s player of the evening, scored 23 points, including a three-point play with 1:48 left. And with 11.2 seconds left in the game, Butler attacked the basket---with Klay Thompson in his face, Jordan Poole in the paint, and Draymond Green and Steph Curry looming nearby---drained a mid-range bucket which gave Miami a 114-109 lead and later the win.
The Heat’s starting five and bench had all the answers and most of the breaks (and calls) go their way against the vaunted Curry, Thompson, Klay, Green, Wiggins, Poole, and company.
Either the Warriors were out of sync or the Heat may have just found their groove.
Twenty Warriors turnovers resulted in twenty-eight Heat points.
A subtle foul by Butler, reversed by coach Spoelstra’s challenge, negated a Warriors rally. As Curry attempted a 3-pointer, Butler appeared to have tapped Curry on the hand with 1:39 left on the clock. The referee’s call went to the Heat’s direction and, thus, prevented the Warriors from tying the game.
"You've got to be allowed to finish your motion…But what do I know about calls?" Steph Curry opined after notching his 10th regular season triple-double scoring 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists for GSW (now 3-5) ---a team trying to hit their stride as they try to climb out of 12th place in the Western Conference leader board.
Compounding the Warriors’ woes, Poole was called for three (traveling) dribbling violations in a game wherein they led by 10 in the second half.
"The whole league does that," Kerr said. "They've been doing it ever since Allen Iverson convinced the referees that it wasn't a carry. It is a carry. What Jordan does is a carry. But the whole league's been doing it. I guess I must start checking my email on game days,” GSW Steve Kerr in a response to an NBA email to the league.
The Warriors, as a team, shot 46.4% FG and 36.7% 3-pointers.
GSW’s starting five scored as follows: S. Curry (PG) 23 pts, 13, rebounds, 13 assists, followed by Andrew Wiggins (PF) 21 pts., 4 rebounds, 5 assists, Klay Thompson (SG) 19 pts., 3 rebounds, 2 assists, Kevon Looney (C) 4 pts., 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and Draymond Green (PF) 5 pts., 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
The entire GSW bench contributed 33 points and was led by Jordan Poole (SG) 9 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
The Heat, victors for the night, shot 45.5% FG and 38.1% 3-Pointers.
Jimmy Butler (SF) led with 23 pts., 6 rebounds and 8 assists.
Bam Adebayo (C) piled in 19 pts., 7 rebounds and 6 assists.
K. Lowry (PG) made 13 pts., 5 rebounds and 9 assists.
T. Herro (PG) went out early with an eye injury and made 2 pts., 1 rebound and 1 assist.
The Heat bench outscored Golden State 54-37 showing their depth.
Video Highlights Miami Heat beats Golden State Warriors, 116-109
Upcoming for both teams:
GSW: Warriors face the Magic in Orlando, Florida on Thursday
Miami: Heat hosts Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, back-to-back
Notes:
The video and photos in this article are courtesy of the NBA.
