Jimmy Butler III insisted his return to Miami after the Heat traded him to the Golden State Warriors was just “another game” for him. And, well, he basically played like it for the first two quarters of Tuesday night’s 112-86 defeat.
Butler had only two points with three rebounds in the first half, shooting 1-of-6 from the floor as the Warriors trailed 57-40 at halftime. He looked for his shot more aggressively in the third quarter, scoring nine points. Butler ultimately finished with 11 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes.
The Heat played a tribute video to Butler before pregame introductions and the home crowd at Kaseya Center gave him a largely positive reaction, though some booing was audible. Though Miami giving Butler a tribute seemed uncertain because of how he left, team policy is to produce videos for players who won an NBA championship or was an All-Star with the Heat.
Golden State closed to within 78-70 in the final minute of the third on a 3-pointer from Jonathan Kuminga. But the Heat closed out the quarter with a Tyler Herro floater and 3 by Davion Mitchell to go into the fourth with a 13-point lead.
Miami dominated the final 12 minutes, outscoring the Warriors 29-16. Bam Adebayo led all scorers with 27 points, adding eight rebounds. Herro followed with 20 points and seven assists, hitting all four of his 3-point attempts. Alec Burks shot 5-of-7 on his 3s, finishing with 17 points. The Heat shot 70% (16-of-23) from long range.
The loss could be problematic for Golden State, currently in the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference standings, but is battling the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 4 and 5 seeds. Miami, meanwhile, has a firm hold on the East’s No. 10 seed and final spot in the play-in tournament despite its recent 10-game losing streak. The Heat had gone 5-17 since trading Butler, while the Warriors went 16-4 after adding him.
The Heat dealt Butler to the Warriors at the NBA trade deadline after a tumultuous relationship developed between the two sides going back to the offseason. Amid reports that Butler wanted a contract extension, team president Pat Riley publicly rebuked Butler for saying that Miami would’ve defeated the Boston Celtics in last season’s playoffs had he been able to play.
Tensions only increased as Butler became vocal with his dissatisfaction, saying he lost his joy for basketball in Miami. The Heat subsequently suspended him for seven games and later issued a two-game suspension for missing a team flight. After Butler walked out of practice upon learning he wouldn’t be in the starting lineup upon his return, Miami suspended him indefinitely until a trade could be made.
In what eventually became a four-team deal, Miami received Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, P.J. Tucker and a protected 2025 first-round pick in exchange.
During nearly six seasons with Miami, Butler averaged 21 points, six rebounds and 5.7 assists, while shooting 31% on 3-pointers. Other than the 3-point percentage, those were the best numbers of his career and tied for the longest stint with one team along with the Chicago Bulls. The Heat twice advanced to the NBA Finals during Butler’s tenure.
Golden State played without Stephen Curry, who missed his second consecutive game with a left pelvic contusion that he sustained last Thursday. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the team hopes to get Curry back on Friday versus the New Orleans Pelicans.
