Butler defended hard. Really hard. He gave it one hundred percent, and still couldn't stop him.
They weren't on the same level.
That was fine.
It was perfectly normal for rookie Butler to come up short against LeBron.
The question was this:
Did Butler have the courage to take on LeBron at the offensive end?
Of course he did.
Why should he be afraid?
Even on the second unit, Butler wasn't his team's leading scorer.
His job was more about... defense. He had to wear LeBron down as much as possible.
Smack!
He caught the ball on the right wing, used a teammate's screen, and drove toward the basket.
He wasn't especially fast, and his first step was nothing special.
But Butler got inside. When help defense arrived, he repeatedly raised the ball as if to shoot.
One pump fake, then another.
Butler played patiently.
He knew he lacked elite talent and that his skills were still ordinary. He needed patience to find a scoring chance.
Once, twice, three times.
Butler didn't rush. Even if all that patience failed to produce an opening,
that was fine. This was how he had to play.
With no good shot available and 8.1 seconds left on the shot clock, he decisively kicked the ball back out.
They kept moving the ball, looking for an opportunity until a decent one appeared.
Clang!
The Knicks missed.
But they had run their offense and kept their rhythm. That was enough.
The Heat secured the rebound.
LeBron took the ball and brought it up at his leisure. He was the undisputed center of the team now.
It felt wonderful.
At the right high post, he went after Butler again, backing him down.
Calling it a post move was generous. He simply leaned into Butler and battered him