Jimmy Butler came out in the start of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday like he wasn’t going to let his Philadelphia 76ers’ season come to an end.
With Philly facing elimination down 3-2 in their series with the Toronto Raptors, Butler took over. He made jumpers, hustle plays, layups, and had 19 points in the first half of action. He went 9/15 with three rebounds, four assists, a steal and only one turnover, scoring 11 points alone in the second quarter.
Sixers fans were loving it and chanted his name going into halftime. He was pumping the crowd up too:
JIMMY BUTLER pic.twitter.com/f91u1x2zJA
— Did the Sixers Win? (@DidTheSixersWin) May 10, 2019
Butler forced his way out of Minnesota by demanding a trade and ended up in Philly, where he’s emerged as a team leader. The fans are quickly embracing him and his gritty play, putting pressure on the team to give Butler the max contract he is seeking.
If he somehow leads them to the conference finals, it would be tough to let him leave in free agency.
