MIAMI -- The vision of Jimmy Butler, slumped over a baseline barricade, during the 2020 Finals in the NBA 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 Lakers, notching 40- and 35-point triple-doubles while pushing Los Angeles 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, he says, has changed since that defining run.