Playoff Jimmy Butler gets activated: Leads Miami Heat to clutch victory over Detroit Pistons

Jimmy Butler put on an all-around performance tonight, and his dominant play helped the Miami Heat snag a 118-110 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

After an up-and-down start to the season, the reigning Eastern Conference champs are finally starting to find their groove. It hasn't been pretty but the Heat are moving up in the standings and with a month left in the season, they are looking to move into the top 4 spots to host a playoff series. Despite not having the firepower as some of the other top teams in the league, the chemistry and "Heat Culture" will always provide this team a chance to make a deep playoff push.

"Playoff Jimmy" looked activated in this game, as the 6-time All-Star ended with 26 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals while dominating both ends of the court. Bam Adebayo did his part, finishing with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Duncan Robinson splashed in 4 triples on his way to 18 points while Terry Rozier scored 17 points while dishing out 7 assists. Caleb Martin had 15 points off the bench while rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 11 points.

Cade Cunningham scored a team high 23 points with 8 assists. Simone Fontecchio had 22 points off the bench and hit 5 three pointers. Jalen Duren recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds while Jaden Ivey contributed 16 points. Isaiah Stewart ended with 13 points.

This win improves the Heat to 35-26 and they currently sit as the 6th seed in the East. They are 0.5 games away from jumping up to the 4th seed but also 1.5 games from falling to 8, so every game is crucial for this team. They are clicking on all cylinders, going 8-2 over their last 10 games. Miami will look to add another win on Thursday when they face off against the Dallas Mavericks.

Detroit falls to 9-52 with this loss, and despite having the worst record in the NBA, this team has been in a lot of hard-fought games against good teams following the All-Star break, which is a good sign for Pistons fans. However, this team still needs to learn how to seal the deal in the closing moments, as they are 1-9 over their last 10 games. Brooklyn will head into town for a matchup on Thursday night.