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Jimmy Butler knows how to have a good time. If he's playing against one of the Miami Heat's fiercest rivals, even better for the exuberant persona that Butler always shows off.
On Friday night against the New York Knicks, the Butler train was full steam ahead. It began with a warmup filled with braggadocio, no missed shots and an "it's good to be me" exclamation to top it all off.
Jimmy Butler trash-talks the Knicks
That outpouring of confidence translated once gametime struck. After sinking his third three-pointer of the night, Butler called out his makes and recommended that the Knicks change their scouting report, because it clearly wasn't working as intended.
As if the three-pointers weren't good enough, Butler resorted to putting up wild field goal attempts that somehow made their way into the basket.
He did most of that while playing on a rolled ankle. The injury wasn't serious enough to force him out of the game, so that should be good news going forward for the Heat, although he may be a bit sore tomorrow morning.
New York Knicks spoil Butler's night
Despite the eventful game from Butler, the Knicks came out victorious. Butler ended the game with 23 points on 50% shooting, but missed all of his final five field goal attempts.
It was a must-win game for New York to keep their Group B hopes alive in the In-Season Tournament. They trailed by 21 points at one point in the game but came storming back in the fourth quarter with an impressive comeback, led by the always dangerous Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks are now 2-1 in group play and overtake the Heat in the standings due to point differential. On the season, New York is now 8-6.