The Miami Heat avoided elimination with their 111-103 win in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics on Friday. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green may have provided some extra motivation for the Heat to do so.
After the Warriors clinched a spot in the NBA Finals Thursday, Green predicted they would face the Boston Celtics.
The Heat apparently took notice.
During a postgame interview on ESPN’s “SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt,” Heat forward P.J. Tucker had a simple message for Green.
“Tell Draymond I said I appreciate it,” Tucker said.
Fellow Heat forward Udonis Haslem echoed similar sentiments. ESPN game analyst Mark Jackson revealed what Haslem had to say about Green postgame.
“[Haslem] wants a message to be relayed,” Jackson said. “He said, ‘Tell Draymond Green thank you.'”
The Heat looked dead in the water during Games 4 and 5, but played with a sense of urgency in Game 6. Much of that could be credited to Jimmy Butler, who scored 47 points. But Green’s slight probably added fuel to the fire. If the Heat advance, it would set up an intriguing matchup from that standpoint.
Game 7 between the Heat and Celtics is scheduled for Sunday, with the winner playing on Thursday in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
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