Getty MIAMI, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 17: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat dunks against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at FTX Arena on November 17, 2021 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
One thing that you can say about Jimmy Butler is that he is not scared to confront anyone when the chips are down. The Miami Heat star is known for his strong personality and vert straight-shooting manner of dealing with any and all issues.
There are people that understand where he comes from while others that are not around him on a constant basis can see it as irritating and even “bullying” to an extent.
This is why Butler embodies the values of Heat Culture and all that players are needing to do in order to get the results and objectives that are expected of a team like the Heat.
Well, Anthony Edwards took it to another level when asked about his tussle with the All-Star in his team’s victory over the Heat at the Target Center midweek.
“He ain’t (gonna) fight nobody out there,” Edwards said, via The Athletic. “All that walking upon each other, that’s stuff for the birds, man. I ain’t about to fight. I don’t get into all that. That s*** be fake.”
The instance that the guard was talking about was in the third quarter when both players exchanged words as it was part of the back and forth that both players had during that time.
According to his post-game interview, he talked about the coaching staff wanting him to take some off during the third in order to be able o have enough gas in the tank to finish off what was turning out to be a very rugged game against a player that left his franchise on bad terms.
“I’m like, bruh, don’t take me out at all,” he told assistant Micah Nori. “I can play these 12 minutes like these are the last 12 minutes of my life. I’m trying to win.”
Edwards stepped up to the task finished the game with 33 points, 14 rebounds (career high), six assists, three steals and a blocked shot in Minnesota’s fifth straight win, 113-101, on Wednesday night.
But in terms of what occurred, Butler obviously was not going to fight someone and put his team in a rather compromising situation. That would occur when Kyle Lowry fouled out in the fourth quarter.
At the same time, Butler is not going to back down from a challenge, especially when it comes
This felt good to him, especially with all the criticism that the team received during their previous six-game losing streak. Yet the moment that stayed in the collective memory of Minnesota fans was his dunk over Gabe Vincent that was not allowed after Edwards was called for an offensive foul.
Ready For The Bulls
The Heat got a bit of a rest after having played back-to-back games earlier in the week. That could be favorable for Miami as they will have to be totally focused when they face the surprising Chicago Bulls then on Monday they will host the Denver Nuggets.
But the task at hand is at the United Center on Saturday, because the challenge there is to keep their fire constant on the road. At 12-7, the road fatigue could be a problem going into December. They currently find themselves 6-6 on the road and will have to figure out how to improve that record sooner rather than later.
“We have to learn how to win on the road. I mean, I feel like that’s been our biggest battle this whole year, winning on the road.” said Bam Adebayo via the Sun Sentinel.
Yet this was known going into the season and even was addressed by Pat Riley back in October when he was asked about the calendar that his team was going to have at the beginning of the season. According to the NBA Stuffer, Miami has the sixth toughest as they played 12 road games up to now and also have played the fewest amount of homes games in the league up to now.
ALSO READ: Could The Miami Heat’s Life On The Road Be A Positive For Them?
Source: Heavy
