“We stopped playing basketball the right way”: Jimmy Butler highlights Heat’s issues after Giannis’ injury

Miami Heat All-Star Jimmy Butler acknowledges what everyone noticed in the Bucks 118-115 win in OT.

After the reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo left the game in the 2nd Quarter with an injured ankle, everyone felt like it was over for the Bucks. The Heat were 7-0 in the postseason, coming into Game 4.

The Heat did not look like the same dominant team they had been all post-season. They looked sloppy on the defensive end, were getting outrebounded by the Bucks and just looked not focused anymore.

Also Read: “Khris Middleton shows up big in Giannis’ absence”

Heat big Bam Adebayo feels the same way too. He says the Heat started playing like a team who were up 3-0. Bam believes the Heat weren’t putting in the same effort and they were not the same team who took Games 1, 2, and 3. He acknowledges that the Bucks are a good team and they may have stopped putting in their maximum effort once Giannis left the floor.

Heat forward Jae Crowder also admits that they did not have the same mentality. Maybe Giannis leaving, or some other reason, but the Heat didn’t have the same mentality.

“I think we relaxed a bit” Butler admits

In the post-game conference, Jimmy Butler admits that the Heat relaxed a bit and Bucks played with more urgency.

Heat’s Jimmy Butler on Game 4 loss to Bucks: “We relaxed a little bit. We stopped playing basketball the right way. We stopped guarding. We stopped living by our principles. It was all bad.” pic.twitter.com/K5Me7tVC10

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 6, 2020

Was not using the coach’s challenge a wrong move?

When the Bucks were up 106-104, with 1:44 left in regulation, Eric Bledsoe clearly fouled Jimmy Butler but no call was made on the floor. Coach Spoelstra, who hasn’t been a fan of the coach’s challenge ever since it’s inception, decided not to use it then as well.

The same applies to the blocking foul called on Goran Dragic, with 1.9 seconds left in regulation, which gave Bucks a chance to tie the game with the free throws.

Coach Spoelstra believes they could have sealed the win by using the help of the officials, but that’s not how he wants to win. He says that the Bucks played better yesterday and they deserved the win.

Butler and squad would definitely use the excess motivation of having to play an extra Game 5 and come with their full strength on Tuesday night and try to wrap the series then.