Jimmy Butler, Heat Leave Fans Stumped After Losing Play-in Game vs. Trae Young, Hawks
When the Miami Heat secured a spot in the play-in tournament, many expected the veteran-laden squad to answer the pressure of the postseason by turning up its level of play.
Surprisingly, the Heat were crushed by the Atlanta Hawks 116-105 in front of their home fans at Kaseya Center, surrendering the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. Miami will face the winner of Wednesday's game between the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls in a win-or-go-home matchup for the No. 8 seed.
While the final score might not look too bad, the Heat trailed by as many as 24 points in the game. Miami was absolutely crushed on the glass, getting out-rebounded 63-39 and allowing Atlanta to secure 22 offensive boards.
Kyle Lowry led Miami with 33 points off the bench, while Tyler Herro added 26. Jimmy Butler, who was expected to enter "playoff mode" and lead the team to success, scored 21 points on 6-of-19 shooting from the field. The Heat cut the lead to single digits in the second half, but they never had Atlanta in danger of losing.
Seven players scored in double figures for the Hawks, led by Trae Young's 25 points. Clint Capela had four points and a whopping 21 rebounds.
NBA Twitter was not happy with what it saw from Butler and Miami in Tuesday's loss:
The Heat have an experienced roster, so Tuesday's uninspiring effort is undoubtedly concerning. The team will hope to be able to bounce back the next time it returns to the floor.
Miami will be back in action on Friday as it tries to keep its season alive.
