In NBA history, there have been six black eights in the playoffs.
In 1994, the Nuggets were 3-2 supersonics, the core was Uncle Mu's pillar of Optimus on the inside, with 31 blocks in 5 games.
In 1999, the Knicks 3-2 Heat, it was between two old rivals, you live and die,
2007 Warriors 4-2 Mavericks, the main theme is MVP Nowitzki's weakness,
The 2011 Grizzlies 4-2 Spurs, it was the ruthless crushing of the black and white bears against the old Duncan,
2012 76ers 4-2 Bulls, that's because Rose and Noah are both out,
And the 2023 Heat 4-1 Bucks, if you must find a keyword,
It can only be Jimmy Butler.
In five games, he averaged 37.6 points, 6.0 boards and 4.8 assists per game, shooting an exaggerated 63.8%.
56 points in the fifth game, 42 points in the sixth game, plus 14 points in the final quarter + extreme empty tie, filling the 16-point hole.
All the fantasies and definitions of "NBA hero" can be found in Butler in this series.
He, and the Heat, is just too hard.
Hard enough to break through people's perception of the NBA today.
When Middleton hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter to stretch the score to a 16-point lead at 102-86, most people were hopeless about the Heat.
Anyway, it's already 3-1 ahead, so why not let it go? Wouldn't it be nice to go back to your home stadium and take advantage of all the perks while advancing to the cheers of your home fans?
But the Heat didn't say yes because they knew too well how scary the "silver lining" was in the playoffs, they themselves were the best team at grabbing the straw, and they didn't want to give the Bucks any chance.
They have folded Hiro and Oladipo, and the rotation is already short and thin, and any relaxation of the enemy may be punished by the basketball god.
Win, at any time, in any situation, against any opponent
I want to win.
Why not fold Hilo? Vincent and Strus quickly topped it,
What about hurting Oladipo again? Duncan Robinson, who was almost abandoned, is still alive,
What about facing the strongest inside duo in the league, Alphabet Brother + Da Luo? The 2.06m Adebayo and the 34-year-old Love are not afraid at all.
It was the duo who scored eight points on inside and outside shots early in the fourth quarter that sounded the clarion call for the Heat's counterattack and told everyone that they weren't finished.
The baton was then handed over to Butler.
The confidence of the entire Heat team to be fearless of death stems largely from him.
He is the fiercest and hardest man and the most selfless boss in the Heat, a team known for its fierceness and fierceness,
He can give up the ball to teammates in the regular season to help them grow quickly, or he can seamlessly take over in the playoffs and carry the team forward for 56 points per game.
In the first three quarters, he actually scored 26 points, 6 boards and 4 assists.
Section IV, Takeover.
4:39, a rollover, 101-108,
Then another mid-range shot, opposite Matthews returned a three-pointer, he made another one, grabbed a 2+1 after grabbing the rebound,
Middleton missed a three-point shot and he turned back with a long-range shot, 111-111.
In just two minutes, he beat the Bucks 12-3 by himself, directly erasing the difference,
At this time, the stag was already panicking,
Holladay, who was once the calmest, dribbled the ball unsteadily throughout the half,
Middleton, who was once the most cold-blooded, simply couldn't find a shot,
Da Luo, who is the best at cold shooting, no longer dares to shoot on the outside,
And the Bucks' biggest alphabet brother once again fell into the free throw circle (the end quarter), and can only rely on the most primitive strong luck.
If it weren't for the exaggerated 45-17 free throw ratio created by the referee, perhaps the Heat would have done the Bucks in regular time.
Vincent's 3-pointer with 6.0 seconds left in the game chased the score to 116-117, and the usually solid Holladay hit two free throws to give the Heat a chance to equalize in 2.1 seconds.
Everyone knew that the ball would be handled by Butler, but no one expected that instead of using three-pointers, not with the same mid-range shot as Jordan, he cunningly hit the basket, and Vincent reached the ball and cut a perfect arc over Holladay and Matthews.
And the moment Butler catches the ball, he gently cushions the ball with a good sense of the ball, and the basketball enters the net perfectly.
118-118, extra time!
The Bucks' entire game advantage and 16-point lead collapsed at this moment,
Alphabet Brother, Holladay, Middleton, the group of opponents who eliminated him 4-0 two years ago, were beaten apart by him at this moment.
The whole Heat team fell into madness at this moment.
Although it is going to play overtime, the Bucks at this moment are dead.
In overtime, the Bucks had broken down in front of the red-eyed Heat, and it took a three-point line to score a point only on Alphabet Brother's free throw.
Butler started with a mid-range shot that extended their lead to 126-119.
Although Middleton hit all three free throws in the final moments, and although the alphabet brother still managed to score four points inside, the Heat held on to a narrow lead in the final minute and took the game 128-126.
They defeated the league's first place 4-1 in the first round, completing the sixth "black eight" in NBA 76-year history, and only one victory in record terms.
The Bucks also became the Division No. 1 in NBA history with the fewest playoff wins.
Jimmy Butler of Hard State,
Like a mirror of the demon,
Only the team that really beats him deserves to reach the finals and compete for the championship.
Whether Leonard in '19, LeBron in '20, Alphabet Brother in '21 or Tatum last year,
And this year, the slack Bucks appeared in front of them, and now they are not worthy of beating the tough Butler and Heat.
Jimmy, what a man!