In a night filled with, emotion for both the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat delivered one of their most complete performances of the season, dominating the Golden State Warriors 112-86 at Kaseya Center. The game marked the return of Jimmy Butler to Miami, just weeks after his trade to Golden State ended a turbulent six-year stint with the Heat.
Butler’s return was met with a mix of cheers and boos following a pregame tribute video honoring his tenure with the franchise, which included two NBA Finals appearances and three Eastern Conference Finals runs. But while the crowd’s reaction was split, the Heat’s focus was anything but. Miami pounced from the opening tip and never trailed, outshooting, outworking, and ultimately outclassing a Warriors squad missing its engine in Stephen Curry, who sat out due to a pelvic contusion.
The Heat’s defense set the tone early. Bam Adebayo, taking on the challenge of guarding his former teammate, opened the game with high energy, contributing 13 points in the first quarter alone and setting the tone for what would be a standout performance. He finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, and a steal, and led the Heat’s defense in neutralizing Butler, who was held to 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting with minimal impact elsewhere.
But the story of the night was Miami’s historic three-point shooting. The Heat connected on a blistering 17 of 25 shots from beyond the arc, good for 68%, the highest in franchise history for a game with at least 25 attempts and just the eighth such performance in league history. Tyler Herro added to the fireworks, dropping 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including a perfect 4-of-4 from deep, while Alec Burks chipped in 17 points and five threes of his own in a spot start.
While the game carried the weight of Butler’s narrative arc, the Heat kept their heads down and played with purpose. They led 57-40 at halftime, weathered a modest third-quarter run from the Warriors, and then slammed the door shut with a 23-8 fourth-quarter run. Golden State, hampered without Curry and limited by Miami’s swarming defense, shot just 39.8% from the field and 9-of-38 (23.7%) from three.
The win was the Heat’s second straight after a demoralizing 10-game losing streak that threatened to derail their postseason hopes. Now sitting in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, Miami is clinging to a play-in spot with 11 games remaining and little margin for error. The franchise has struggled since trading Butler, posting a 6-17 record in his absence, but back-to-back wins suggest signs of life.
For the Warriors, the loss stings but doesn’t derail their recent momentum. Golden State has gone 16-5 since acquiring Butler in a five-team deal that cost them Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and a protected first-round pick. While Butler has found chemistry with Curry and Draymond Green, Tuesday was a reminder of the team’s dependence on its superstar point guard to generate offense.
Butler’s postgame comments reflected the night’s complex emotions. “The video was nice,” he said. “I won’t say there were a lot of emotions, though. I think I went into this thing level-headed. We wanted to win the game and it didn’t go the way we planned.”
There was no interaction between Butler and his former teammates, and the tension from the acrimonious split still seemed to linger. When asked if he spoke to Butler, Herro simply responded, “No, no, no.”
Wiggins, who faced his former team for the first time since the trade, added 10 points, five assists, and three blocks, while Ware contributed a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Kyle Anderson, out of Miami’s rotation in recent games, made the most of his opportunity, finishing with seven points and two steals.
The Heat’s rotation continues to shuffle amid injuries. Duncan Robinson missed the game due to back soreness, while Nikola Jovic remains sidelined with a hand injury. Yet despite the instability, Miami used its 24th different starting lineup of the season and still found rhythm.
As Erik Spoelstra noted postgame, the win wasn’t about revenge or narratives. “It was more about us just staying the course with our process,” he said. “But defensively, that was probably one of our more consistent efforts all the way through.”
Even in a season riddled with turbulence, Miami still believes. If the Heat can bottle the defensive tenacity and shooting brilliance they displayed on Tuesday, they just might have enough left in the tank for one more playoff push, Butler or no Butler.
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