http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/basketball/8514426.htm Posted on Sun, Apr. 25, 2004 HEAT NOTEBOOK Butler (24 points) is Miami's bright spot BY ISRAEL GUTIERREZ [email protected] In the first two Heat-Hornets playoff games, Caron Butler did his best work in the shadows, doing the dirty work that complemented the artistry of Dwyane Wade, Eddie Jones and Lamar Odom. On Saturday, with Wade, Jones and Odom struggling to find their muse, Butler did more than just the dirty work. He did all the heavy lifting. Butler had 24 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and two steals in 45 minutes of the Heat's 77-71 Game 3 loss. "I was just picking and choosing my moments, and I chose a lot of good moments to go in there, crash, hit the glass and push the ball up and make something happen," said Butler, who is averaging team bests in points (18.0), rebounds (9.7) and steals (3.3) in the series. "Hopefully the ball falls my way the next game also." In the first three quarters, Butler did most of his work in his usual opportunistic fashion. But in the fourth quarter, with the Heat trailing, Odom in the locker room getting stitches, Wade sitting on the bench, and Jones struggling, Butler needed to do more than wait for his chances. Butler was aggressive in the halfcourt and the open floor, scoring 11 fourth-quarter points, including seven from the foul line. "I had to pick it up another notch," Butler said. "Guys were getting double-teamed, [the Hornets] were throwing a lot of different looks at a lot of people and showing harder. When it came to me on the weak side, I was just trying to make plays and make it happen." Butler's impressive performance kept Rasual Butler on the bench the entire game -- the first time that has happened since Feb. 10. Caron Butler said his main objective was to aggressively pursue rebounds against the taller Hornets. "Coach emphasized that he wanted me to get on the glass more so I can get the ball and push it out," he said. "So that was my main thing, trying to get on the defensive glass and try to make things happen." Butler did much of his work despite spraining his right ankle in the third period. The second-year forward landed on Baron Davis' foot and fell to the floor in pain. He walked off the injury and stayed in the game, but he expects to feel the effects of the injury today (the Heat returned to Miami after the game). "It hurt for the moment, but it'll probably hurt more after the plane trip," said Butler. "Right now I'm just thinking about that loss and how we're going to recover from it." SITTING OUT Wade, who scored just two points on 1-of-8 shooting and committed five turnovers Saturday, played only 31 minutes, including 12 in the second half. The rookie hurt his right shoulder during the game, but he said that was not a factor. "I take that every game," Wade said of the hits he took from Hornets players. "It was coach's decision [to sit him], and the way I was playing today I wouldn't put myself in either. We had a good group of guys out there that helped us with the comeback. "I didn't make an impact tonight. Even in some games when I turn the ball over I make an impact. I felt today I didn't make an impact on the court. It was just one of those games for me, and I will bounce back." HORNET HONORED Hornets forward P.J. Brown, who spent four seasons with the Heat, won the 2003-04 NBA Sportsmanship Award, the league announced. "It's not surprising," Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said. "P.J.'s really one of the truly great people in this league and one of the great gentlemen." TICKETS ON SALE Tickets for Friday's Game 5 at AmericanAirlines Arena can be purchased at the arena ticket office, the Heat ticket kiosk at Bayside Marketplace, any Ticketmaster outlet, or online at heat.com and ticketmaster.com. --

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