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Former Chicago Bulls star Jimmy Butler can lead the Miami Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals if they defeat the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round.
The Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls Central Division enemy Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs, in the style of a dominant sweep. Former Bulls star guard / little forward Jimmy Butler helped push the Heat past the Pacers in the first round.
In four games played in the first round against the Pacers, Butler averaged 19.8 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, a career-best (in the playoffs) 2.5 steals and 1.0 blocks. He shot 40.8 percent from the field, 57.1 percent from beyond the arc and 83.3 percent from the free throw line.
Those 2.5 steals per game in Butler’s first round lead the playoffs so far. He’s also one of the NBA’s leaders in 3-point shooting percentage (with players making more than 1.5 attempts per game from beyond the arc). He’s shooting more than double the percentage he did from beyond the arc during the regular season (24.1).
Now, the five-seeded Heat will have a chance to defeat the top seed Milwaukee Bucks and current NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks took care of business in the first round of the playoffs against the eight-seeded Orlando Magic. Former Bulls point guard DJ Augustin, prominent center Nikola Vucevic and the Magic lost to the Bucks in five games.
The two second-round playoff matchups in the Eastern Conference are now set. On August 30, the two-seeded Toronto Raptors take on third seed Boston Celtics to kick off the second round of the playoffs in the East. The Pacers were the only team in the top four in the East that failed to advance to the second round.
However, in the Western Conference, the seven-seeded Dallas Mavericks are still fighting the two-seeded Los Angeles Clippers. And the three-seeded Denver Nuggets are trying to come back against the six-seeded Utah Jazz.
The only team that has made it through in the West so far are the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the seeded ones, who overtake the Portland Trail Blazers. The four-seeded Houston Rockets are also trying to avoid surprise from the tight-fisted, five-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
Definitely one of the second round playoff matchups to follow will come down to the deep and skilled Heat taking on the talented Bucks. Butler could be tasked with defending Giannis at times, which will be difficult for him by all means.
Butler and the Heat will face Giannis and the Bucks in Game 1 of the second round playoff series on August 31 at 5:30 pm CT. This is the second year in a row that Butler made it to the second round of the playoffs in the East.
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