Published 11:34 IST, December 11th 2019
Jimmy Butler issues incredible response after Trae Young's premature declaration
Jimmy Butler led Miami Heat to victory over the Atlanta Hawks this week. Drama unfolded on the night when Trae Young called the game with one minute left
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” This is a line from The Godfather Part III, but it may very well have been the theme for the Atlanta Hawks' visit to the AmericanAirlines Arena on Tuesday night, (Monday morning IST). The Hawks had a 117-111 advantage with less than a minute left to play in the game, courtesy of Trae Young setting up Alex Len to hand the Hawks a 6-point lead. That was when Trae Young decided to inform the crowd at the American Airlines Arena that the game was over. Miami Heat small forward Jimmy Butler, however, had other ideas.
NBA: Jimmy Butler forces Hawks vs Heats into overtime
Three-pointers from Duncan Robinson and Jimmy Butler pushed Miami Heat to tie the game after Trae Young's declaration, thus forcing it into overtime. But there was still some drama left in the game. Miami Heat went on to score the first 16 points in overtime to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in some style. Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler have been the key performers for Miami Heat this season. Against the Hawks, the Miami Heat duo once again came to the fore, as they each posted triple-doubles on the night. Interestingly, this was the first time in the history of Miami Heat that two teammates have accomplished this feat in a single game. Considering that the Heat were once led by LeBron James, this is surely an impressive feat.
Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn were the other star performers for Miami Heat on the night. Robinson registered a 34-point display against the Hawks, whereas Kendrick Nunn netted 36 points at the AmericanAirlines Arena. This meant that on the night, Miami Heat had three players scoring 30 or more points. This feat, however, is not a first for the Heat. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were the first ones to reach that milestone, back in 2011.
Updated 13:02 IST, December 11th 2019