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How many points did Jimmy Butler score vs. Heat in return to Miami?
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It was not the revenge game Jimmy Butler wanted.
Making his return to Miami after five-and-a-half seasons with the Heat, Butler’s Golden State Warriors dropped their second consecutive game Tuesday night and third out of their last five, 112-86.
The game was so out of hand that Butler sat half of the fourth quarter, with Miami continuing to build on its lead.
“The main part about Jimmy’s return to Miami is that the Heat were ready,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game.
The Warriors were playing their second game without All-Star guard Stephen Curry, who is working his way back from a pelvic contusion.
Here’s everything you need to know about Butler’s return to Miami:
How many points did Jimmy Butler score vs. Miami Heat?
In what ended up being a frustrating, turnover-filled night for the Warriors, Butler finished with only 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting and added six rebounds and two assists.
Nine of Butler’s points came in the third quarter as Golden State was trying to make a run to narrow its deficit. Butler had just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in the first half, as each Warriors starter had accounted for just two points apiece headed into intermission.
For most of the game, as his defensive assignments, Butler drew Heat forward Bam Adebayo, the team’s premier defender, and Haywood Highsmith, a reserve forward also known to be a stopper.
Butler did make his first attempt of the game, getting to the lane and bodying Heat guard Tyler Herro before he laced a one-handed push shot. It was Golden State’s first points of the night and ended a 7-0 Miami run to start the game.
After the game, Butler was cordial and complimentary of his years with the Heat organization.
“It takes me back to some good times when I was wearing a Miami Heat jersey,” he said. “Very appreciative of those times. They helped me become the player I am in this league, the individual that I am in this league, teammate, leader, all of those things, and I don’t think I could be who I am today without my opportunity here.”
According to the TNT’s Taylor Rooks, however, Butler said before the game that “I have nothing to say to Pat, and Pat better have nothing to say to me” when Rooks asked what Butler would do if he ran into Heat president Pat Riley.
How did Miami Heat players welcome Jimmy Butler?
Butler did catch up with at least one of his former teammates prior to tip-off. At one point, TNT cameras showed Butler coming from behind to surprise Heat forward Kevin Love, before the pair shared a short conversation, laughing and smiling throughout.
Once the game ended, Butler greeted a couple of people sitting courtside near the Warriors bench, but went into the locker room without exchanging words with his previous teammates.
All-Star guard Tyler Herro, one of Butler’s Heat teammates for the entire time that Butler was in Miami, said that he did not have any pre- or post-game conversations with Butler.
“It was my first time playing him, but it was a normal game, it felt like,” Herro said.
The Heat shot a blistering 17-of-25 (68%) from 3-point range and played controlled defense, which coach Erik Spoelstra said was the result of his team’s attention to detail.
“You don’t want to become too emotional,” Spoelstra said after the game. “I did not feel like we were too hyped up at all. It was more laser focused on the competition and competing at a high level and playing well. That’s the fine line you always need to find in team sports.”
How did Miami Heat fans welcome Jimmy Butler?
Butler was introduced pre-game by public address announcer Michael Baiamonte in a cadence that was only slightly more subdued than the way he was introduced when he was a member of the Heat. Although there was a smattering of boos, Butler was received, for the most part, by adulating fans, many of whom gave Butler a standing ovation.
The Heat also played a short tribute video moments before Butler was introduced to the crowd at the Kaseya Center.
Once the game started, however, fans booed Butler every time he touched the ball.
What happened during Jimmy Butler’s time with the Miami Heat?
Because of his gritty play and clutch performances, Butler became a fan favorite over his five-and-a-half seasons in Miami. He was twice named an All-Star during that span and led Miami to a pair of NBA Finals appearances.
The relationship soured, however. The Heat suspended Butler several times this season for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team.”
The Heat traded Butler Feb. 5 in a multi-team deal that brought back Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson and draft picks to Miami.
Upon being traded to the Warriors, Butler inked a two-year, $121 million extension with the Warriors.
Developer Michael Stern teamed up with Italian investor and TikToker Gianluca Vacchi in 2024.
At the time, Stern said that Vacchi “understands new media and how to cut through the noise on social media in a way most real estate people don’t,” calling him an effective marketer and tastemaker. Online to his 22.1 million Instagram followers and 22.3 million TikTok followers, Vacchi has showcased his jetsetting lifestyle, workouts, cold plunges, and maybe most frequently, his dancing.
Two years ago, Stern and Vacchi said they were 50-50 partners on a $4 billion pipeline of JDS Development’s projects (Stern’s firm). That included Mercedes-Benz Places Miami, the Dolce & Gabbana-branded 888 Brickell and the planned 1250 West Avenue project in Miami Beach. It later also encompassed a proposed condo buyout of the Casablanca Miami Beach.
Since then, JDS and its partners have exited the 1250 West Avenue project. Both the Mercedes-Benz and Dolce & Gabbana condo projects are tied up in litigation, though sources previously told The Real Deal that JDS is in the process of securing new debt, and a new partner in developer Jeff Soffer for the stalled Mercedes-Benz Places, which would rescue the project.
Meanwhile, Stern’s relationship with Vacchi has imploded. Vacchi sued Stern months ago, but that lawsuit was on hold, and further details of their dispute remained behind closed doors.
Until recently.
Vacchi is accusing Stern of running a Ponzi scheme. In a new lawsuit, he alleges that Stern misrepresented the state of the projects, promising to use Vacchi’s investment in one development but instead diverting them to another. He also accuses Stern of violating a settlement agreement they reached this year. He wants Stern removed from the Mercedes-Benz project.
Stern called Vacchi’s original lawsuit an abuse of the legal system that was filed “for the sole purpose of maliciously creating reputational destruction” and to extract a settlement from Stern, according to a separate lawsuit obtained by TRD. It’s unclear whether that suit was filed. Stern alleges that Vacchi failed to meet his capital obligations (in other words, didn’t invest on time, or at all).
What we’re thinking about: What happens next with Stern? If the partnership with Soffer and the new financing closes, is all resolved? Send me a note at kk@therealdeal.com.
CLOSING TIME
Residential: A trust paid $41.6 million for the 9,100-square-foot mansion at 8565 Old Cutler Road. The seller was 8565 Old Cutler LLC, which purchased the property in 2022 for $38 million. The property, considered a teardown, has previously housed former presidents of the University of Miami, including former U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala.
Commercial: The industrial complex at 333 South West 12th Avenue in Deerfield Beach, the printing press for the Sun Sentinel newspaper, sold for $65 million. Gramercy Property Trust sold the property to 333 Deerfield Industrial LLC.
— Research by Mary Diduch
NEW TO THE MARKET
The waterfront mansion at 9720 West Broadview Drive in Bay Harbor Islands hit the market for $36.5 million. The 0.3-acre property, with 83 feet of waterfront, a dock, boat lift, pool, outdoor kitchen, cabana and 2,000-square-foot deck, was recently developed. It’s listed with Daniela Levtov of NG International LLC. The 10,450-square-foot house has seven en-suite bedrooms, a home theater, office and library, according to the listing. Property records show Shaul and Danielle Dina own the home through a trust.
A thing we’ve learned
Port Canaveral officials are backing a new federal bill that would make unauthorized drone flights over U.S. seaports a felony, after more than 500 drones flew over the port in 2025, raising concerns about the security of military, space and cruise operations.
Elsewhere in Florida
- West Palm Beach residents pushed back on the city’s rapid development and developer influence at a public meeting this week, WPTV reported. The proposed appointment of a Stephen Ross executive to the Downtown Development Authority fueled the protest.
- About 50 cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasite that’s been sickening people in several states, have been confirmed in Florida. That includes five cases in Miami-Dade and five cases in Broward, according to NBC Miami.
- The FBI is investigating whether Aventura-based TourProdEnter LLC funneled more than $300 million in Argentine Football Association sponsorship payments through U.S. banks for the personal benefit of top AFA officials, the Miami Herald reported. The company moved into an office in Aventura at the start of the year but moved out in the spring.
The Oregon Ducks come off a chaotic recruiting period in the 2027 cycle, where they hosted official visitors and added to their list of commitments. Coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon staff are simultaneously looking ahead to future recruiting classes.
As the 2027 cycle starts to wind down and the 2028 cycle begins to pick up, the Ducks entered the recruiting sweepstakes for four-star edge rusher Elijah Tillman.
Oregon Ducks in the Mix for Four-Star EDGE Elijah Tillman
Tillman is a 6-7, 210-pound edge rusher from Loganville, Georgia. He’s listed as a consensus four-star recruit and is ranked as high as No. 152 in the class by Rivals.
In a recent interview with Rivals’ Chad Simmons, Tillman revealed that Oregon and the Miami Hurricanes are among the schools that he wants to visit. According to 247Sports, the Ducks offered him back on April 30, 2026, while the Hurricanes extended an offer all the way on January 25, 2025.
Tillman told Rivals that the different schools in the mix are even at the moment, but that Oregon and Miami were two of the schools that he wants to go out and see.
Four-Star Elijah Tillman’s Potential Oregon Ducks Fit
Sports Spring Football | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
With Tillman’s large frame, which still has the opportunity to grow, he would provide the Ducks with size on the edge right away.
The 2027 recruiting class currently features five-star edge rusher Rashad Streets, three-star Achilles Reyna and three-star Josh Christensen at the position. The program prepares for current starters Matayo Uiagelelei and Teitum Tuioti to head to the NFL Draft at the conclusion of the 2026 season, leaving opportunities for the next couple of recruiting classes.
Additionally, the Ducks haven’t earned any commitments from the state of Georgia in their 2027 recruiting class. The last commit Lanning landed from Georgia was Dayton Raiola in the 2026 class, who made his decision on February 4, 2026. Making a big push for Tillman could possibly reignite the program’s recruiting in the Peach State.
Miami Hurricanes vs. Oregon Ducks Recruiting Battle
Miami is the other program that appears to be making a big push early for Tillman. Oregon fans are very familiar with former Ducks coach Mario Cristobal, who took Oregon recruiting to a different level before leading the Hurricanes to the National Championship game last season.
Cristobal and the Hurricanes have battled Lanning and the Ducks for blue-chip recruits more and more over the recent recruiting cycles. Most notably, Miami flipped four-star cornerback Ai’King Hall’s commitment from Oregon earlier in the 2027 cycle.
The two rivals also emerged as finalists for linebacker recruit Jalaythan Mayfield, who ended up choosing the Indiana Hoosiers. Oregon got the best of the Hurricanes once in the 2027 cycle when four-star offensive lineman Gus Corsair committed to the Pacific Northwest program over the Vanderbilt Commodores and Miami.
While the Hurricanes aren’t a Big Ten rival that the Ducks commonly go toe-to-toe with on the field and in the recruiting realm, Cristobal’s role in the recruiting rivalry adds a little bit more fuel to battles for recruits like Tillman.
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The Miami Dolphins will have new starters at their cornerback positions since both Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas are not back with the team. The team drafted Chris Johnson in the first round and it’s pretty likely he’ll have a large role and should claim the one starting spot. The other starting spot should be up for grabs among the rest of the group. Jason Marshall is one of those players who has a better chance of claiming that starting spot after showing some flashes his rookie season. Jeff Hafley has already said he envision Marshall playing on the outside and the second-year corner should get plenty of chances to prove himself during the preseason.
You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.
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