Butler doing it all for Heat

LOS ANGELES – Three years after leading the Miami Heat to the brink of an NBA championship, Jimmy Butler is once more inspiring his team on an epic playoff journey.

The 33-year-old NBA star produced the latest in a series of jaw-dropping performances on Wednesday to send the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks crashing out of the postseason in the first round.

Butler’s 42-point masterpiece in Milwaukee was the sort of inspirational display that has earned him multiple nicknames over the years that reflect his unerring knack of delivering under pressure, from “Playoff Jimmy” to “Jimmy Buckets.”