The Miami Heat delivered a commanding 112-86 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night at Kaseya Center, spoiling Jimmy Butler’s return to the city where he became a star. Butler, now with the Warriors, struggled in his homecoming, finishing with 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting, six rebounds, two assists, and a steal in a frustrating performance. The Warriors were also without Stephen Curry, sidelined by a pelvic contusion, which Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra acknowledged made a “big difference” in the game. Despite the emotional backdrop of Butler’s return, Spoelstra insisted the Heat’s energy wasn’t about their former star but rather a continuation of their defensive focus.
Coming off a win against the Charlotte Hornets that snapped a 10-game losing streak, the Heat carried momentum into the matchup. Fans brought a charged atmosphere to Kaseya Center, and the team honored Butler with a tribute video, which he called “nice” but said didn’t stir much emotion for him, per KNBR. Spoelstra downplayed the narrative of Butler’s return as a motivating factor, saying, “We didn’t do any kind of extra motivational speech leading up into this. It was more about us just staying the course with our process.” He emphasized the team’s defensive consistency, noting, “Defensively, that’s probably one of our more consistent efforts all the way through… We’ve been defending for six weeks pretty hard.”
Spoelstra credited the Heat’s “laser-focused” approach, even with key players out, saying, “This league is unforgiving… It was good to see those kind of inspiring efforts from multiple guys.” The absence of Curry, who Spoelstra said “creates an offense unto himself,” certainly helped, but the Heat’s defense—holding the Warriors to 86 points—was the story of the night. Tyler Herro led Miami with 24 points, while Bam Adebayo added 18 points and 12 rebounds, showcasing the team’s balanced attack.
Butler, who spent four seasons with the Heat and led them to two NBA Finals, couldn’t find his rhythm against his former team. The tribute video was a classy touch, and Butler’s gratitude was visible on the big screen, but his lack of emotion about the game itself aligned with Spoelstra’s narrative—the Heat weren’t playing for revenge; they were playing for themselves. With this win, Miami improves to 15-24, showing signs of life after a rough stretch, while the Warriors drop to 19-20. The Heat’s next test comes against the Orlando Magic on Thursday, and if they can maintain this defensive intensity, they might just be turning their season around—Butler’s return or not.
