Jimmy Butler returns from 1 game suspension and carries Miami Heat past Portland Trail Blazers

All-Star Jimmy Butler received a 1 game suspension following his altercation with Naji Marshall and Jose Alvarado. He returned tonight and shined, as he led the Miami Heat to a 106-96 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center.

The reigning Eastern Conference champions have had an up and down season this year, but things have been looking good for them recently. The Heat are starting to click after acquiring guard Terry Rozier to improve the team’s scoring, and now Miami is fighting for a top 4 seed so they can host a round 1 playoff series.

Jimmy Butler led the team with 22 points and 9 assists on 58% shooting. Terry Rozier returned from a 4-game absence and scored 19 points while Duncan Robinson had 17 points with 4 made threes. Bam Adebayo finished with 13 points and 9 boards.

Anfernee Simons scored a game high 26 points while hitting 4 shots from downtown. Jerami Grant finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals while Deandre Ayton had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Toumani Camara recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds.

This win improves the Heat to 33-25 on the season, making them 5th in the East and just 1.5 games behind the 4th seed Knicks. This was a big victory for Miami as they are now 8-2 over their last 10 games and currently on a 5-game winning streak. Their next game will be on Thursday against the Denver Nuggets in a rematch of the 2023 NBA Finals.

Meanwhile, this loss drops the Blazers to 15-42 on the year. Portland is looking to continue developing their young talent before adding more promising players this off-season. They are on a 9-game losing streak and will play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.