Jimmy Butler scores 45 points, Heat defeat Hawks for 2-0 lead

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Jimmy Butler walked off the floor when his night's work was complete, lifted his arms in the air and heard a sold-out arena serenade him with screams.

That didn't happen in the bubble two years ago, since nobody was there.

But Butler was every bit as good Tuesday night as he was during that bubble run — and the Miami Heat needed all his heroics.

Butler scored a playoff career-high 45 points, including a personal 7-0 run down the stretch to decide the game, and the Heat held off the Atlanta Hawks 115-105 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series Tuesday night.

"We go as he goes," Heat guard Gabe Vincent said.

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Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) shoots as Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter defends during the first half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Tuesday, April 19, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Butler was 15 of 25 from the floor, 11 for 12 from the line and 4 of 7 from 3-point range. As such, the top-seeded Heat are going to Atlanta with a 2-0 lead.

Tyler Herro scored 15 for Miami, while Max Strus scored 14 and Vincent added 11 for top-seeded Miami.

Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 19 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter for Atlanta. Trae Young got his scoring touch back — he had 25 points in Game 2, after being held to eight in Game 1 — but also had a career-worst 10 turnovers for the eighth-seeded Hawks.

"If the refs are going to let them be as physical as they are and not call fouls, it's going to be hard to really do anything anyways," Young said.

De'Andre Hunter had 16 and John Collins finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for the