Miami Heat Getting A Glimpse Of `Playoff Jimmy' Butler During Regular Season

There is already a thing called "Playoff Jimmy."

But "Regular Season Jimmy?"

It seems Miami Heat forward Butler has brought the same intensity of late as he does in the postseason. Butler is averaging 23.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists in the last five games. The Heat have won four during the stretch, gaining some needed momentum as the NBA All-Star break approaches.

"It's kind of one of those things where you have a feel for the game," Heat center Bam Adebayo said. "You understand from just watching it. Sometimes, it doesn't go his way and that's when he taps in. A lot of times you just get out of his way."

Butler was locked in during Wednesday's victory against the San Antonio Spurs. He finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, his 15th triple-double with the Heat. He also had three steals and one block to help impact the defensive end.

"We sure look and feel a lot different when he's healthy and in attack mode and having fun out there and really imposing his will on both sides of the floor," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He was so active defensively. He was basically a one-man zone ... When he gets activated like that, it looks like we can be in two places at once sometimes."

An energized Butler could help the Heat avoid a second half of the season on edge. Last year they had to participate in the Play-In Tournament before making the playoffs.

This year, they'd prefer Butler help them earn an outright berth into the postseason.

"It's good being able to get him the ball and allowing him to create for himself or for others," Heat guard Tyler Herro said. "He's obviously one of the best in the league at that. To have someone like that on your team is very beneficial."

Heat vs. Spurs Takeaways: Jimmy Butler Records Triple-Double In Comfortable Victory

Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat, a Fan Nation channel for Sports Illustrated. He has covered the NBA since 2010.

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