Pick the best Heat playoff performance of the last 20 years. Was it Jimmy's 56 point game?

[lambchop]

The Heat have had some pretty impressive individual playoff performances over the last 20 years. What do you think was the best one?
I only included wins. There definitely were some noteworthy omissions, because I can only have 10 options, like Wade 2006 Finals G5: 43 pts. I didn't include it because he only shot 39% from the field that game.

Also didn't include LBJ 49 points in 2014 against the Nets cause they were just old imo and it "felt" less impressive than many of his and other guys' performances on the list. Nor do I have Wade 2007 R1 G4: 46 pts cause it just ended up being a gentleman's sweep against a superior team.

I was kind of on the fence about including Shaq's game, but his FG% was off the charts that game and he got it done with blocks and on the board, but it won them the series to get to the finals. Also had similar feelings about Butler's 42 points in G5, however, it clinched the series and he had an epic bucket to send the game to OT. Overall, I feel as though I could have removed one of Butler's games, but I wasn't sure which one.

[Bob Ross]

Prob when Randle murdered them with a 3 dagger. F the heat

[Homer38]

The game 6 of Butler in Boston last year was also great!

[GSWFan1994]

Come on, at least put ONE of Joel Anthony's legendary performances in the poll.

[BBallFreak]

Prob when Randle murdered them with a 3 dagger. F the heat

Thanks for trying to derail the thread! We don't like the Knicks, either. What does that have to do with this?

[Tony15]

Prob when Randle murdered them with a 3 dagger. F the heat

Thanks for trying to derail the thread! We don't like the Knicks, either. What does that have to do with this?

It's been a hot minute since his team has been even close to as relevant as ours has been in the last two decades.....forgive & God bless him.

On topic, I still gotta go with 2012 LeBron's 45/15/5 @BOS Game 6 ECF given the stakes. Team was faced with an absurd/unhealthy hatred and God help us had we lost that series. When talking about best individual performances, I think stakes and circumstances have to play a huge factor.

[KodiakBear]

2012 lebron or 2020 Butler finals game 5

[Memories]

Jimmy Butler 56 point game for me.

Lebron’s game was necessary because his legacy was on the line. If he didn’t play like that, his career would have been a total embarrassment. Especially after choking in the 2011 finals. Plus the Heat were favorites in that series. So it would have been embarrassing to lose to that old Celtics team in 6.

Butler’s game as an 8th seed, very injury riddled team missing their two other best scorers, against the team with the best record that season, and had to play like an absolute god to win that game like he did? That was special, and much more iconic in my opinion. Not to discredit what Lebron did in that 2012 game, but to me, this was more special while Lebron’s game was seen more as a “you better win or face embarrassment for losing the first two years after saying not one, not two, not three…”.

[Pennebaker]

cmon now. lebron game 6 vs boston in the eastern conference finals - the celtics having won 3 games in a row and the heat declared dead. jimmy could've scored 70 while up 3-1 in the first round and it still wouldn't have been as impressive.

[Kingdibs19]

cmon now. lebron game 6 vs boston in the eastern conference finals - the celtics having won 3 games in a row and the heat declared dead. jimmy could've scored 70 while up 3-1 in the first round and it still wouldn't have been as impressive.

This and it’s not even close. 10 point difference adjusted for inflation is not that much.

[Bornstellar]

Jimmy's performance was epic but we all know the real answer to this poll

[Sedale Threatt]

Given everything at stake, LeBron's first half in that Celtics game was probably the best 24 minutes of basketball I've ever seen. That was about as locked in as you can be. What Butler did was amazing but a non-elimination game in the 1st round isn't in the same galaxy.

[Heat3]

Stakes were higher for Lebron but Jimmy’s performance was better imo. Miami needed all of Jimmy to win the game. The Heat crushed the Celtics and sent the fans home early. Lebron didn’t even have to finish the game.

Jimmy has done this in the bubble. Last year. Now this year. Incredible!

[JasonStern]

LeBron wins at best single playoff performance. But what Butler has done with the Heat throughout his tenure has been remarkable. Give him prime Wade and Bosh and see what he'd do.

[fishfuego.]

Jimmy Butler 56 point game for me.

Lebron’s game was necessary because his legacy was on the line. If he didn’t play like that, his career would have been a total embarrassment. Especially after choking in the 2011 finals. Plus the Heat were favorites in that series. So it would have been embarrassing to lose to that old Celtics team in 6.

Butler’s game as an 8th seed, very injury riddled team missing their two other best scorers, against the team with the best record that season, and had to play like an absolute god to win that game like he did? That was special, and much more iconic in my opinion. Not to discredit what Lebron did in that 2012 game, but to me, this was more special while Lebron’s game was seen more as a “you better win or face embarrassment for losing the first two years after saying not one, not two, not three…”.

Everything ^ for me as well.

[fishfuego.]

Stakes were higher for Lebron but Jimmy’s performance was better imo. Miami needed all of Jimmy to win the game. The Heat crushed the Celtics and sent the fans home early. Lebron didn’t even have to finish the game.

Jimmy has done this in the bubble. Last year. Now this year. Incredible!

Yup.

[heatwillbeback]

The only two choices are Jimmy this season and the Lebron/Boston classic.

I voted Jimmy. He did it pretty much on his own. Statistically, it was also the better game. Of course Lebron's meant more in the ECF.

[Flash4thewin]

Im going with Lebron 2012 followed by Wade’s 2006 final performance. The seriousness and gravity of those two games and those break out performances where the stakes are just so much higher than a first round performance. Jimmy had a great game and it might be the best playoff game of the year but again it’s just the first round.

[dtbrehm]

Jimmy Butler 56 point game for me.

Lebron’s game was necessary because his legacy was on the line. If he didn’t play like that, his career would have been a total embarrassment. Especially after choking in the 2011 finals. Plus the Heat were favorites in that series. So it would have been embarrassing to lose to that old Celtics team in 6.

Butler’s game as an 8th seed, very injury riddled team missing their two other best scorers, against the team with the best record that season, and had to play like an absolute god to win that game like he did? That was special, and much more iconic in my opinion. Not to discredit what Lebron did in that 2012 game, but to me, this was more special while Lebron’s game was seen more as a “you better win or face embarrassment for losing the first two years after saying not one, not two, not three…”.

It's interesting because your same context makes it easily Lebron's game to me. ECF elimination game on the road as the title favorite after losing three games in a row versus a first round game at home as a team with zero expectations. There's a massive gap in pressure there, and Lebron came out with basically a perfect first half to bury the game.

[Johnny Tomala]

LeBron game 6 vs Celtics in 2012.