We collect cookies to analyze our website traffic and performance; we never collect any personal data. Cookie Policy
Accept
NEW YORK DAWN™NEW YORK DAWN™NEW YORK DAWN™
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
  • Home
  • Trending
  • New York
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
  • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Art
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Reading: Miami Heat Force Game 7 Against Boston Celtics Behind Jimmy Butler
Share
Font ResizerAa
NEW YORK DAWN™NEW YORK DAWN™
Search
  • Home
  • Trending
  • New York
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
  • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Art
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Follow US
NEW YORK DAWN™ > Blog > Sports > Miami Heat Force Game 7 Against Boston Celtics Behind Jimmy Butler
Miami Heat Force Game 7 Against Boston Celtics Behind Jimmy Butler
Sports

Miami Heat Force Game 7 Against Boston Celtics Behind Jimmy Butler

Last updated: May 28, 2022 6:16 am
Editorial Board Published May 28, 2022
Share
SHARE
28nba east G6 butler facebookJumbo

BOSTON — In a playoff series that had long ago lost any semblance of order or predictability, Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat on Friday night emerged as a rare source of stability, and perhaps the only one.

He rose over flat-footed defenders for 3-pointers. He negotiated rush-hour traffic for layups. He drew fouls and whipped passes to teammates and left the Celtics and their fans in a state of despondence.

When so much else felt uncertain, Butler was a sure thing. It was the shared feeling among everyone in the building, for better or worse. By the time he cradled the basketball outside the 3-point line late in the fourth quarter, taking a half-beat to survey the landscape before him, he carried himself with a certain air of inevitability: Was there any doubt what would happen next?

The Celtics, so celebrated for their defense, made it easy for him. They mishandled the assignment, leaving Butler with a clear path to the hoop, and he pounced, driving for a layup and absorbing contact for good measure. It was a winning play that broke a tie game, along with the Celtics’ resolve.

“His competitive will is as high as anybody that has played this game,” Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said.

In steering the Heat to a 111-103 victory over the Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, Butler ensured that the series would be pushed to its absolute limit: Game 7 is Sunday night in Miami.

Butler collected 47 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists while shooting 16 of 29 from the field and 4 of 8 from 3-point range. He did so on an ailing right knee after two of the roughest games of his career. He said he had been uplifted by a pregame phone call from Dwyane Wade, the former Heat guard.

“D-Wade never hits me until his voice is really, really needed,” Butler said. “And it was.”

Butler also had a one-sided conversation before the game with P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris, two of his teammates. Tucker and Morris had a request for Butler: “Yo, we need 50.”

“He looked at us, didn’t say a word,” Tucker recalled. “He just nodded his head, kept going. I was like, oh, yeah, he’s about to play. He’s locked in.”

Spoelstra described “Game 7” as the two best words in professional sports, and he would not get an argument from the Golden State Warriors, who are awaiting the winner in the N.B.A. finals, starting Thursday in San Francisco. While Boston and Miami continue to bludgeon each other, Golden State needed just five games to eliminate the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals.

“Rest, ice, massage — all of that good stuff,” Butler said when he was asked how he would tend to his knee ahead of Game 7. “The same thing every single day.”

The Heat were coming off two straight disheartening performances. They had lost Game 4 by 20 while shooting 33.3 percent from the field. They had lost Game 5 by 13 points while shooting 31.9 percent — at home, no less, where their fans shuffled out of the arena wondering whether they would see the team again this season. After all, Butler had shot a combined 7 of 32 in those two duds while laboring with his injured knee.

In the immediate wake of Game 5, though, with the Heat facing elimination, Spoelstra did something interesting at his news conference: He channeled his inner Mister Rogers.

“You’ve got to enjoy this,” he said. “You do. If you want to break through and punch a ticket to the finals, you’re going to have to do some ridiculously tough stuff.”

He added: “We’re still alive. We have an opportunity to play in front of a great crowd, and an opportunity to make a memory that you’ll remember for a long time. That’s all we’re thinking about right now.”

Spoelstra would know, having coached the Heat to two titles and five finals appearances. In his 14th season, he acutely understands the playoffs and the stakes and the pressures and the possibilities.

If Spoelstra delivered the same message about opportunity to his players before Game 6, Butler must have absorbed every word of it before using it as fuel against the Celtics.

“His aggression just opens everything up for everybody else,” Tucker said.

In the first quarter alone, Butler shot 6 of 10 from the field and made both of his 3-point attempts while collecting 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. As a team, the Heat made five 3-pointers in the first quarter, which was especially impressive considering they had gone 7 of 45 from 3-point range in Game 5.

“I think we played with a little bit more confidence,” said Kyle Lowry, who had 18 points and 10 assists in the win. “We played with some oomph tonight, and it felt good to do it.”

While Butler’s late-game layup gave Miami the lead for good, he sealed the win with less than a minute left when he took a spinning, turnaround jump shot from 20 feet with the shot clock set to expire.

“It’s a different era,” he said. “It’s a different team.”

And Butler, still in search of his first championship, seems determined to make his own mark. At his news conference, he shared the dais with Lowry, who offered up a quizzical expression when Butler said he had played a “decent” game. Lowry was asked to elaborate on Butler’s game.

“It’s incredible,” said Lowry, who supplemented his assessment with an expletive. “My bad. Don’t fine me, N.B.A. That was a mistake, I promise.”

It was among the only mistakes the Heat made all night.

You Might Also Like

Ex-NFL star sparks outrage throughout South Africa searching journey

Knicks Summer time League 2025: Kevin McCullar Jr. shines by means of Recreation 2

Yankees declare reliever Rico Garcia off of waivers from Mets

Cooper, Drake, and Klay: 7 wild NBA Offseason Storylines

Aaron Decide, Pete Alonso headline Yankees and Mets’ high All-Star Recreation storylines

TAGGED:BasketballBoston CelticsBrown, Jaylen (1996- )Miami HeatNBA ChampionshipPlayoff GamesSmart, MarcusTatum, Jayson (1998- )The Washington MailUdoka, Ime
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print

Follow US

Find US on Social Medias
FacebookLike
TwitterFollow
YoutubeSubscribe
TelegramFollow
Popular News
Stars, Stripes, and Summer season Nights: 12 Glowing 4th of July Social gathering Concepts
Real Estate

Stars, Stripes, and Summer season Nights: 12 Glowing 4th of July Social gathering Concepts

Editorial Board June 10, 2025
Ontario premier Doug Ford shreds $68M Starlink contract amid tariff feud
HIV stigma tied to ethical judgments, complicating destigmatization efforts
GamesBeat author Rachel Kaser’s High 5 Video games of 2024
Pope Francis Will Travel to Canada to Apologize to Indigenous Community

You Might Also Like

Joe Schoen, Brian Daboll betting Daniel Jones was Giants’ drawback on offense
Sports

Joe Schoen, Brian Daboll betting Daniel Jones was Giants’ drawback on offense

July 14, 2025
Jets coaching camp preview: New tradition below Aaron Glenn hoping for outcomes
Sports

Jets coaching camp preview: New tradition below Aaron Glenn hoping for outcomes

July 14, 2025
Yankees coaches who didn’t play within the majors ‘pumped’ for All-Star alternative
Sports

Yankees coaches who didn’t play within the majors ‘pumped’ for All-Star alternative

July 14, 2025
Jazz Chisholm Jr. could make extra Yankees historical past at Dwelling Run Derby
Sports

Jazz Chisholm Jr. could make extra Yankees historical past at Dwelling Run Derby

July 14, 2025

Categories

  • Health
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Technology
  • World
  • Art

About US

New York Dawn is a proud and integral publication of the Enspirers News Group, embodying the values of journalistic integrity and excellence.
Company
  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • Accessibility Statement
Contact Us
  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability
Term of Use
  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices
© 2024 New York Dawn. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?