Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler scores 45 in Game 2 win, says he's a 'different player' than he was during torrid Finals run in NBA bubble

MIAMI — The vision of Jimmy Butler, slumped over a baseline barricade, during the 2020 NBA Finals in the Orlando bubble has been painted into the tapestry of the league's collective consciousness. In that series, the Miami Heat star went toe-to-toe with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, notching 35- and 40-point triple-doubles while pushing L.A. to the brink.

The Butler who scored a career playoff-best 45 points in the Heat's 115-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday to go up 2-0 in their first-round series, has changed, he said, since that defining run.

«I am a different player now than I was then,» Butler said after a personal 7-0 run in the waning minutes of Game 2's fourth quarter increased Miami's lead from three to 10 to secure the victory. «I just always want to play basketball the right way and do whatever it takes to help this team, this organization win. That's why they brought me here.»

After Butler joined the Heat as a free agent in 2019, he led the team to within two wins of the league title in the bubble, but Miami then bowed out to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in a first-round sweep last year.

His transformation has been triggered by the addition of Kyle Lowry, who brought championship experience with him when he left the Toronto Raptors to sign with the Heat last summer.

«I'm not as ball-dominant as I was in the bubble,» Butler said. «We got a point guard, and that's Kyle, and I love him being a point guard.

»I just get to go out there and try to score. And if I can't score, pass the ball. We're a different team; I'm a different player."

On Tuesday, Butler also was a different player than in the regular season, when he shot just 23.3% on 3-pointers. Butler went 4-for-7 from deep in