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

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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 the Los Angeles Lakers, notching 35- and 40-point triple-doubles while pushing L.A. to the brink.

He said that the player who scored a career playoff-best 45 points in the Heat's 115-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks has changed since that defining run.

After a personal seven-point run in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter increased Miami's lead from three to 10, he said he was a different player. They brought me here because of that.

After joining the Heat as a free agent, he led the team to within two wins of the league title in the bubble, but Miami was swept in the first round of the playoffs by Milwaukee.

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 am not as ball-dominant as I was in the bubble, and I love Kyle as a point guard.

I get to try to score. If I cannot score, pass the ball. We are a different team and I am a different player.

On Tuesday, he was a different player than he was in the regular season, when he shot just 23.3% on 3-pointers. Trae Young shot 2-for-10 on 3s in the second game, bringing his series total to just 2-for 17.

The only other player besides James in the history of the Miami Heat was D- Wade, and he had three 40-point playoff games.

If you are on the other side, would you ever want to give D Wade an open 3? You wouldn't, because he's a killer. He is going to seize that moment. Jimmy has many of the same qualities. When it becomes about winning, throw those out. He will find a way to kill you.

He will do it in his own way. The time leading up to tipoff was passed by by the man, who shared on his social media account that he was playing a card game and listening to the band the Backstreet Boys.

"Whooped their tail, too, and I just love to compete at anything," he said.

The fun-loving ways of butler are only one part of the equation.

He said that the dark side and demeanor of the man was needed to push other people to be better. You can talk about it, but if you don't show up, it's a different story. He shows it.

In the second game of the playoffs, the only players with that many made shots were Wade and James, who were both 11-for-12 from the foul line. He became the first Hawks player since 1988 to post a playoff stat line like that, with zero turnovers and zero fouls.

The Hawks had a record 10 turnovers in the game, and one of them came on an error by Young that led to a steal by Butler.

He did some amazing things defensively, just as impressive as his offense.

The butler took the Heat to the precipice of a champagne celebration, only to fall just short. His coach said the player leading the Eastern Conference is built to go all the way.

Everyone is looking for the same box for a championship. It can be done in many different ways. "Jimmy is a max guy, a go-to guy, a killer, and you don't have to describe it." He knows how to win, he knows how to help teams win, and the game is played on both sides of the floor, and it's played with intelligence and strength. It is not what everyone thinks it is.

He showed that he is a winner tonight.