With the Miami Heat searching for a win in Game 3 against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, Jimmy Butler received a motivational shot in the arm from a player deep at the end of his team's bench: Udonis Haslem.
"He literally came to me and said, 'Do not let us lose this game. Win it,'" Butler said postgame, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell. "And he came to me at about eight minutes in the third quarter. It was like: 'Hit the switch. Turn it on.'
"And for him to be in my corner like that - he's played with some greats, let's not get that wrong. But for him to have that confidence in me, it goes a long way."
Butler recorded a game-high 30 points with six assists, including 17 points and a pair of dimes during the Heat's massive fourth quarter when they outscored Milwaukee 40-13, securing a 115-100 come-from-behind victory.
The 40-year-old Haslem continues to have an outsized impact on the Heat's culture, well beyond his infrequent playing time. After playing just 44 regular-season games over the past four seasons - including only 44 minutes in 2019-20 - the Heat lifer is essentially a part-time player and part-time coach. And he's a full-time motivator.
In his first year with the team, reserve center Meyers Leonard has taken note of Haslem's peer-to-peer coaching.
"UD told Jimmy, 'You go out there and be the best player on this floor. No matter what happens, you're going to lead us to this win,'" he said. "And that's what he's done."
