Jimmy Butler's return to Miami a bust as Warriors lose again without Stephen Curry ... Jamal Murray and Christian Braun, and now the Hawks and Heat have outscored them by 35 points. ...

Dec 7, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) shoots the ball against Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) during the second half at Kaseya Center.

A case can be made for Christian Braun to be an early contender for Most Improved Player, but the voting is going to have to buck a trend. The last 10 winners – Jimmy Butler, CJ McCollum ...

Christian Braun contained all-star candidate Tyler Herro, whose 22 points came on 2-for-7 shooting from three. And Butler was semi-quiet in his return, scoring 18 points on 15 shots.