SUMMARY
- The Miami Heat beat the Chicago Bulls 91-112 to qualify for the playoffs.
- Tyler Herro stepped up for the team in Jimmy Butler's absence, with 24 points on the night.
The Miami Heat just booked their place in the 2024 playoffs officially. The franchise just beat the Chicago Bulls even without Jimmy Butler and that speaks at length about how they are not a one-man team. The Heat beat the Bulls 91-112, thanks to an exceptional performance from multiple players. Tyler Herro was the star of the night, almost putting up a triple-double. He made 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Along with Herro, rookie Jaime Jacquez Jr. was having quite a night as well. He made 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Despite his lack of experience, the player has shown maturity on the floor, when it comes to involving his teammates and making the right plays for the team to get the win.
The Heat are now set to face the Boston Celtics in Round 1 of the playoffs. It will mark a repeat of events from last year when the Celtics almost came back from a 3-0 deficit. But the Heat managed to get the job done in Game 7 and qualified for the 2023 NBA Finals.
Herro said about the future matchup, “They’re obviously the best team by numbers statistically in the league. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us, but we’re built for it, we’re excited. We got to cover for Jimmy, so we’re going to go into Boston with a great mindset.” The player reveals that the team isn’t backing down from the challenge, as intimidating as the Celtics could be this year.
As Herro mentions, the Celtics are a great team statistically, topping the Eastern Conference with 64 wins, the best record this year. Although the same cannot be said for the Heat, the franchise has always managed to shock the world in the postseason. They have players who think about the team as a whole and do not hunt individual milestones.
Tyler Herro talks about stepping up for the Heat in Jimmy Butler’s absence
Herro said during the postgame interview, “I think a lot of people try to determine the outcome of a game, points someone scores. I think Jimmy Butler does the opposite of that. He impacts the game in so many different ways, sharing the ball, making the right plays for his teammates. I tried to be as much as I could, if Jimmy tonight, just trying to make the right plays, get my guys shots and not force anything.”
As Herro says, Butler is not a player who goes by the book. He has always taken an approach that has proven to be effective and different from the others at the same time. This has given Butler plenty of success over the years, and could do the same in the near future as well. Butler has averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists this year, and missing him will certainly be a big blow.
Can the Heat beat the Celtics without Jimmy Butler?
For some context, Butler has suffered an MCL injury. NBA fans will be aware of the fact that these injuries often take a while to recover, and that does not mean good news for the player and his fans. Shams Charania has reported that Butler has suffered an MCL sprain and he will be missing a few weeks. That could also mean the Heat will be playing agains the Celtics without their star player.
Heat confirm Jimmy Butler has an MCL sprain and is out. https://t.co/W0Mnx8Rcws
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 18, 2024
Butler played through an ankle injury last year, against the Celtics and in the finals as well. He would’ve probably done it if his body allowed him to this year, but none of us would complain that he isn’t able to show up for the Heat. The player has proven that he gives his all on the court, and that would have been the case had he been fit.
The Heat have a chance to beat the Celtics, even without Butler. Their strength lies in performing as a solidified unit, with and without Butler. If they do not stray away from their game plan too much, a win against the mighty Celtics is not looking far-fetched.