THE Miami heat continue to be down, as they suffered a 110-108 home loss against the Wizards of Washington on Sunday. The Heat had a chance to tie the game with seconds left in regulation, but Jimmy Butler opted to go for a 3-point shot, instead of a higher percentage shot to force overtime.
After the game, Butler said he would always look to win in such situations.
“I never aim for the tie. Never”, the Miami heat star said (h/t Brady Hawk from Five Reasons Sports).
Some will argue against this kind of basketball philosophy, but at the same time, Butler has also shot 42.5% from behind the arc so far during the 2023-24 NBA regular season. Then again, he only makes 2.4 deep attempts per game. It all comes down to the confidence that Butler seemingly has a bottomless tank.
Butler was also 0/3 from the 3-point zone before that late game shot, leaving many wondering if he really made the right call there. He finished the game with 23 points on 9/20 shooting from the floor and 5/6 from the free throw line, while also adding three rebounds and four assists plus a steal and a block in 36 minutes.
The Heat are now on a three-game losing streak, having lost to the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the two games prior to the matchup with Washington. The Wizards only had 10 wins heading into the game against the Miami Heat, but found a way to outplay Butler and company. The Wizards were led by Kyle Kuzma, who scored 32 points, while Corey Kispert provided Washington with 22 points on five 3-pointers.
Miami Heat prepare for NBA Finals rematch against Denver Nuggets
Butler and the Heat can get back to winning ways this Wednesday, but that’s going to be easier said than done, especially since they’ll be facing the same team that beat them in the 2023 NBA Finals, the Denver Nuggets. After the date with the Nuggets, however, the Heat will have back-to-back games against arguably the worst team in the NBA today, the Detroit Pistons.
