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When Andre Iguodala threw down a rim-rattling, one-handed slam dunk from high altitude on Thursday night it surely brought a smile to his face. That’s because Miami Heat teammate Jimmy Butler told him it would never happen.
The basket increased Miami’s lead to 101-93 with 39 seconds left in the fourth quarter, putting an emphatic ending on a dominant win over the New Orleans Pelicans. More importantly, it secured a .500 record for the Heat (18-18) at the All-Star break.
However, Butler had been clowning Iguodala about dunking before the game. He told the 37-year-old to stop practicing those dunks in the lay-up line.
“It’s funny because he’s doing dunks like that in the warm-up line,” Butler told reporters, “and I’m like ‘you’re never gonna do that in a game’ and behold.”
Butler was joking, of course. The star forward went on to describe how much it means to have Iguodala wearing a Heat jersey.
“That’s what he does. He’s a winner, never questions what you ask him to do which is incredible to me,” Butler said. “And he just guards, shoots the open shots, knows where the ball has to go … he’s so smart.”
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Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra remains amazed at how much the three-time NBA champion still has left in the tank. He finished with 10 points and four rebounds in 23 minutes versus New Orleans.
“Andre is the Fountain of Youth,” Spoelstra said. “He’s getting younger as the season goes on.”
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Where Has Avery Bradley Been Hiding?
Lost in all the trade talk has been a return timeline for Avery Bradley. The veteran guard has been out since Feb. 3 with a calf strain following a three-week absence from COVID-19. The initial timeline was at least four weeks, but there hasn’t been an injury update for Bradley in quite some time.
“Trying to get my body back into game shape,” Bradley told reporters on Feb. 9, via Fan Nation. “Who knows, it’s just unfortunate that the injury happened. I’m literally just focused on getting back soon as possible, so I can get out there and battle with my guys.”
Jimmy Butler Jumps into MVP Conversation
Jimmy Butler missed 14 games during the first half of the season due to a myriad of reasons, from COVID-19 protocols to knee inflammation to an ankle injury. He was snubbed from the All-Star team despite averaging 20.5 points, 7.8 assists, 7.5 rebounds in 22 games.
Anyone who watched his performance on Thursday night understands how valuable he is to the Heat’s success. Butler dropped 29 points against the Pelicans, including 10 points in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter. Insane. His recent domination has some fans questioning why “Jimmy Buckets” isn’t in the conversation for NBA MVP.
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