Jimmy Butler calls his shot, says Heat will win Game 6 vs. Celtics
Playoff Jimmy has taken the NBA by storm and his latest comment could either add to the Jimmy Butler legacy or leave the Miami Heat on the ropes. After the Heat jumped out to a stunning 3-0 series lead against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, Miami has now lost back-to-back games with the series set to head back to South Beach for Game 6.
Following the Celtics' 110-97 win in Game 5, a game in which the home team dominated right out of the gate, Butler appeared unphased and was even spotted smiling late in the loss.
And that smile and confidence carried over into the postgame press conference, where Butler definitively stated that the Heat "can" and "will win this series."
The statement was certainly eye-opening, but anyone who has heard Butler talk or seen his play likely wasn't too caught off guard by those bold words. Butler is never lacking confidence in himself or his team and now the Heat need to right the ship and get back to what led to the team jumping out to their initial 3-0 series lead.
Miami's slow start in Game 5 essentially doomed their outlook, as the Celtics took full advantage of their openings and never took their foot off the gas. Boston jumped out to a 35-20 lead after the first quarter, one which the Heat were unable to rally back from.
Even Butler, himself, had a quiet night for his standards, scoring 14 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Only two Heat starters (Butler and Bam Adebayo) scored in double figures, while four of Boston's five starters had more than 20 points. The stat line for Butler was obviously a far cry from what fans had seen from him to this point in the postseason. Butler has averaged 24.2 points, 7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in this series.
It is hard to feel overly confident in the Heat at this moment after the team's two consecutive losses, but if any player's unwavering confidence can carry over to the locker room, it's Butler's. While the Celtics are in prime position to complete a comeback, Butler is correct in his assessment that the team needs to get off to a better start.
If Miami can avoid another slow open at home – which shouldn't be hard in front of a fanbase that'll surely have plenty of energy – the outlook for them to advance to the NBA Finals with a Game 6 win still looks very realistic.
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