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Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler was at his Jimmy Butler-est during Monday’s bout with the Orlando Magic. In 33 minutes of play, the cornerstone dropped 36 points on an ultra-efficient 15-of-21 shooting. He also added five steals for good measure during the 107-90 win.
The effort marked Butler’s highest scoring total since the 2019-20 campaign. And it was a big-time improvement over his 7-of-22 night against the Indiana Pacers on October 23.
So what exactly triggered the offensive explosion from the five-time All-Star? It’s difficult to pinpoint, but it may just have been the country grooves he was blasting before the game. According to his Instagram story, Butler had Luke Bryan’s “Rain Is a Good Thing” in his headphones while preparing for the contest.
In the song, Bryan sings that “rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey.” After hearing those words, Butler brought the rain to South Beach and that made a bounce-back win for the Heat.
Bryan Is Butler’s Boy
While the idea that Butler would be jamming out to some Luke Bryan may strike some as unexpected, longtime fans probably won’t be surprised. The Heat standout and the country music star go way, way back.
In 2015, the two famously went toe-to-toe on the hardwood in a video that appeared on Bryan’s YouTube channel. The two have appeared together in other videos, too, and Butler is a regular attendee at Bryan’s concerts.
Moreover, Butler has joined in on his friend’s musical stylings. In 2017, he had a starring role in the music video for Bryan’s song, “Light It Up.” The video depicts Butler returning to the locker room after another big game when he checks his phone to see if he has received any messages from his girlfriend, with whom he is apparently fighting.
Butler ultimately finds himself sleepless and driving around before he takes to the court to play through his frustrations. All the while, Bryan croons about his yearning to see his phone light up with a new text.
The single was certified platinum by the RIAA and peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
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Heat Entering Brutal Stretch
It’s so far, so good for the Heat, who walloped the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks on opening night and sit at 2-1 on the season. However, the team is about to get its mettle tested in a big, bad way. Miami’s next two-plus weeks of games shake out as follows:
Wed, Oct 27: @Brooklyn Nets
Fri, Oct 29: vs Charlotte Hornets
Sat, Oct 30: @Memphis Grizzlies
Tue, Nov 2: @Dallas Mavericks
Thu, Nov 4: vs Boston Celtics
Sat, Nov 6: vs Utah Jazz
Mon, Nov 8: @Denver Nuggets
Wed, Nov 10: @Los Angeles Lakers
Thu, Nov 11: @Los Angeles Clippers
Sat, Nov 13: @Utah Jazz
The Nets, who Miami will take on next, are resh off of a 104-90 win over the Washington Wizards. Patty Mills, who is putting up nearly 15 points per game so far, knocked down five triples in the contest.
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