Jimmy Butler makes confident claim after Miami Heat lose Game 5 to Boston Celtics
The Miami Heat find themselves in a far more nerve-wracking situation today than they did at the start of the week. On Sunday, they were kings of the East as they held a 3-0 lead over the Boston Celtics. Now, after last night’s 110-97 loss, that advantage in the Eastern Conference Finals has been cut to 3-2.
At this point, many are starting to sense that this could potentially become the first time that a team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history. However, Jimmy Butler is not one of those people.
During his postgame press conference, he highlighted some ways that Miami needed to be better from their last two outings. Butler then cemented that the Heat were going to do those things as he stated that they’d win Game 6 back in the Kaseya Center.
“We just gotta play better, start the game off better from the starters,” said Butler. “(We need to) make it more difficult for them. They’re in a rhythm since the beginning of the game.”
“But we’re always going to stay positive knowing that we can, and we will, win this series,” Butler said. “We’ll just have to close it out at home.”
Jimmy Butler isn’t someone who lacks confidence whatsoever. In his 15 games this postseason, he’s averaging 28.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.1 steals per contest. Add in shooting splits of 50.5-33.3-80.6 and he’s been the obvious engine for Miami as they survived the Play-In Tournament, knocked off the Milwaukee Bucks, and handled their business against the New York Knicks.
Still, things have become very uncomfortable in the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat stole Boston’s heart by taking homecourt advantage and then bludgeoning them in Game 3. However, the Celtics responded with a 17-point win on the road in Game 4. Next was a massive 13-point win in Game 5 on their home floor last night.
Now, while they still have two opportunities to win, all the pressure is now on Miami to close things out. They would, at all costs, very much like to avoid being on the wrong side of the record books. That’s why, with Butler leading the charge, he’ll be expecting his team’s best, and a win for that matter, come what is now a must-watch Game 6 back in the Heat’s house on Saturday night.