As the playoff race heats up in the NBA, so are the individual performances for the stars of this league. Russell Westbrook was able to reap the benefits of his great performances, taking home last week’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
Among the runners-up for this award were Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat and Bogdan Bogdanovic of the Atlanta Hawks.
Jimmy Butler among the runners-up to Russell Westbrook for NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Also a runner-up was Bogdan Bogdanovic, which would have been pretty cool, with Bojan Bogdanovic the winner in the West.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) May 10, 2021
Butler played in just two games last week and averaged 25.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists. On the year, Butler is averaging 21.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 7.1 assists while shooting nearly 50% from the field.
Butler and the Heat have saved their best for last, and have a 6-1 record in May. To go back further, the Heat had a 6 game losing streak in the middle of March. Since then, they are 17-7 and are currently sitting in the fifth seed.
Currently, the Heat are slated to face the Bogdanovic and the Hawks in the first round. However, tonight’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks will go a long way in determining that matchup and other first round playoff matchups.
