MIAMI -- Jimmy Butler said he knows that many inside the NBA world don't believe the seventh-seeded Miami Heat can again make it all the way through the Eastern Conference playoffs this season, but he doesn't care.
As he prepares to take the organization into its first play-in game against the No. 8-seeded Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, Butler does so with the same defiant attitude he has carried with him throughout most of his career.
"Nope," Butler said after Monday's practice when asked if he's embracing the underdog role after going into last year's playoffs as the No.