Jimmy Butler Says the Heat Need to ‘Get Back to Being a Defensive-Minded Team’

After dropping two-straight to the 76ers on the road, Jimmy Butler says the Heat need to focus on getting back to what got them here in the first place, valuing being a defense-first team.

“A lot of it comes to us making shots,” Butler said. “We make shots; we tend to play defense. When we don’t, we don’t. We’ve got to get back to being a defensive-minded team, and then our offense comes to us second.”

While his 40 points, six assists, two steals, and two blocks helped keep Miami alive, James Harden carved up their defense late with a 16-point fourth-quarter performance that stripped away any hope of getting a stop.

As a team that averaged 110 points per game in the regular season, putting up just 79 points in their Game 3 loss to Philly was a shock for a team that’s capitalized off of turning turnovers and defensive pressure into offense all season long.

“I think every shot that we shoot we think is going in. And we’re going to take the same shots next game and they’re gonna fall because that’s the way we’ve been playing all year long,” Butler said.

The Heat will face off against the 76ers at home for Game 5 on Tuesday before traveling back to Philly for Game 6 on Thursday.