Brilliant Butler’s 56-points put No 1 seed Bucks on brink of NBA playoff exit

Jimmy Butler had the game of his life, and the Miami Heat had a comeback for the ages.

Butler scored 56 points – tying the fourth-best scoring performance ever in an NBA playoff game – and the Heat roared back from 14 points down in the final quarter to stun the Milwaukee Bucks 119-114 on Monday night to put the NBA’s top overall seed on the brink of early elimination.

The 56 points also became Butler’s career high. He was 19 for 28 from the field, 15 of 18 from the foul line and added nine rebounds for eighth-seeded Miami, who took a 3-1 lead over the Bucks in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

“For my team, to get this dub, in this way, in this atmosphere, for this city, it’s huge,” Butler said.

Bam Adebayo scored 15, Caleb Martin had 12 and Gabe Vincent scored 10 for the Heat. Game 5 is at Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Brook Lopez scored 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a two-game absence due to a bruised back and had a triple-double – 26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists.

The Bucks led almost the whole way, until the Heat roared back in the final minutes.

“We didn’t make enough plays on either end,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “And they did.”

Butler had 21 of his points in the fourth, and the Heat still trailed 101-89 after a layup by Lopez with 6:09 left. That’s when a 13-0 run, capped by a Butler dunk off a Bucks turnover, put Miami up for the first time all night with 3:17 left – 102-101.

We're all witnessing greatness tonight. pic.twitter.com/mvtayp6ylX

The lead changed hands four more times, and Butler’s three-pointer with 1:20 left put Miami ahead for good. He added a step-back jumper on Miami’s next possession, punched the air in celebration, and