MIAMI – The Miami Heat returned to practice on Monday as the start to the NBA season approaches.
The Heat finished the preseason with a 5-1 record.
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The real games start on Thursday night when the Heat host the defending NBA Champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Forward Jimmy Butler said, “We’re ready. Hell, if you go through training camp, you’d better be ready to go man. Now all of these hard practices get to dumb down a little bit. The real games are here. They count and we’re ready for it.”
The Bucks swept the Heat out of the playoff last season.
Butler was asked if the Heat have to make a statement on Opening Night.
Butler said, “We all got different teams at the beginning of the year, it’s something new. You go into it the same way you go into any season, you try to win every game that you can. Try to just be our best at the end of this thing. For now, we’re trying to learn each other.”
In terms of the first game, Butler said he’s most excited “That I’m fortunate enough and blessed enough to be able to play basketball opening day against somebody else. I get to go out there and compete with these guys that I love to play with, for this city that I love to play for, and I’m happy. When you add all that up, opening day is going to be great.”