The Miami Heat fell short in the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets, losing in five games, but as the No. 8 seed in the East, the Heat exceeded expectations while giving its fans an entertaining ride along the way.

The Heat took down three of the top four seeds in the conference to make it to the finals, beating the top seeded Milwaukee Bucks, the No. 4 seed New York Knicks and the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics. Led by forward Jimmy Butler, Miami, who had the lowest-scoring offense in the league during the regular season (109.5 points per game), won the play-in tournament and went further than any previous play-in winner.

Still, the Heat couldn’t overcome two-time MVP Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets, who took the series and won their first NBA championship with a 94-89 victory in Game 5.

Despite his incredible efforts throughout the postseason, many fans and analysts alike took to Twitter to take shots at Butler after the loss.

Twitter Reacts to Jimmy Butler, Heat After Finals Loss

Butler finished with 21 points in Game 5, going 5-of-18 on his field goal attempts in game 5, also adding three rebounds, five assists and three steals (stats via Basketball Reference). He scored 13 of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, but he also had a critical turnover late in the game and he missed a potential game-tying shot.

Jimmy Buckets averaged 21.6 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in five games against the Nuggets and he tallied 26.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists throughout the playoffs, but he didn’t put up huge numbers in Game 5, and Twitter had plenty to say about it.

Butler didn’t have a great night shooting in the final game of the series, making 27.8% of his shots from the field, and that was noted also:

It was the second time Butler has lost in the finals while with the Heat, (the first time was back in 2020) and some fans chided Butler for that:

It’s also possible — although Butler denies this — that the sprained ankle he suffered in Game 1 of the conference semifinals on April 30 limited him in the following games. Butler averaged 37.6 points a game in Round 1 against the Bucks, and he wasn’t nearly as explosive in any subsequent series.

Analyst Will Manso, who covers the Heat, noted that the Heat star’s ankle could be a factor:

Twitter can be a disparaging place, but there weren’t only negative responses to Butler’s game. Some focused on the success Miami has had since Butler’s arrival:

While others noted Butler and starting center Bam Adebayo may need a better supporting cast around them in order to win it all:

Butler Takes Blame, Credits Teammates After Game 5 Loss

To his credit, Butler owned his mistakes after the Heat’s Game 5 loss. When Butler was asked his thoughts on the game’s final minutes, he gave a candid reply: “That I turned the ball over. That’s what stood out,” Butler said.

He also took the time to shower his teammates with praise. “You never know what the team is going to look like next year, the year after that. I’m just grateful,” he said.

“I learned so much, they taught me so much. I wish I could have done it for these guys because they definitely deserve it. The one thing that I’m going to take from it is how great I am for being able to compete with them,” he added.

Now, with the offseason officially underway, Miami will likely make some significant moves to help Butler and Adebayo. Whatever the Heat decide to do, Twitter will surely have an opinion about it.

Josh Harris, the owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, was blamed by Liberty Ballers’ Dave Early for the team not retaining five-time All-NBA selection and 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP Jimmy Butler during the 2019 free agency period.

“Sixers’ managing partner Josh Harris deserves the lion’s share of the blame for basically forming and leading a ‘collaborative’ front office that reportedly huddled up and decided against dropping a five-year max on ‘Himmy Buckets,'” Early wrote.

Punctuated by the Sixers’ elimination during the 2022 postseason at the hands of the Miami Heat, Butler’s departure from Philadelphia has led to a boom period in South Beach and perpetual second-round exits for the 76ers since the 2019 offseason.

In fact, the Sixers were closest to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance when Butler was uniform and Philadelphia lost in Game 7 to the Toronto Raptors on a series-ending buzzer-beater from eventual 2019 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.

As the Sixers star into the abyss of another rebuild — with James Harden’s rumored free agency departure being the potential first domino in an impending descent down the standings — Butler’s presence in the 2023 Finals serves as a stark reminder of the front office’s past mistakes.

‘Miraculously,’ Joel Embiid Hasn’t Asked for Sixers Trade

Early finds it to be a minor miracle that Embiid hasn’t asked the Sixers’ brain trust to find him a new NBA home given the front office’s inability to put together a winning roster around the 2022-23 MVP — and warned that the league is likely monitoring his happiness in Philadelphia as the big man watches his friend and former teammate uplift a roster filled with undrafted players under the brightest lights.

“Somehow miraculously, Joel Embiid never asked for a trade (that we know of), but rivals are surely checking his temperature as Jimmy continues shredding the East,” Early wrote.

ESPN’s Tim McMahon reported on The Hoops Collective Podcast that the New York Knicks are hoping things “go haywire” with the Sixers and Embiid in hopes of landing the Cameroonian colossus.

“They’re not hoping for patience, they’re hoping for The Process,” McMahon wrote. “I don’t know if that’s coming, but they’ve looked at that situation in Philly and there’s been a hope in New York that stuff in Philly will go haywire to the point where Embiid will ask out. I don’t know the percentage odds on that, I would say they are slim, but that’s been the hope.”

Analyst Says 2023 NBA Finals Lose-Lose for Sixers

If Butler doesn’t end up winning the 2023 NBA Finals with his new team, Sixers fans might then be losing even more by watching two-time former MVP Nikola Jokic lead the Denver Nuggets to their first title in franchise history according to PhillyVoice’s Eytan Shander.

“The obvious choice on social media was people would rather see Jimmy over Nikola win, I get that from what Jokic winning does to de-value Embiid and the Sixers,” Shander prefaced before saying, “But don’t underestimate what Miami winning means in relation to highlighting the true depths of failure exhibited by the 76ers.”

If Philadelphia’s Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics wasn’t painful enough, the results of the Finals may just do the trick.

Jimmy Butler has spent his last four seasons with the Miami Heat and based on his comments heading into Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals, he plans on spending the rest of his career playing in South Beach.

In a May 31 interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Butler, 33, discussed a number of things, including his the trajectory of his career and his belief that his current group of teammates can slay one more dragon in the form of Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

A standout at Marquette University, Butler was a first round selection in the draft for the Chicago Bulls in 2011. When Andrews reminded Butler of a comment he made years ago when he played in the Windy City — that the last thing he would ever want to wear was a Heat jersey — Butler smiled and, noting the irony, said his Heat jersey will be the last one he’ll ever wear.

Butler Spent His First 6 Seasons With Bulls

He was a three-time All-Star over his six seasons in Chicago, but back in June of 2017, the Bulls shipped Butler and a draft pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and draft capital. Butler played in Minnesota for a year before getting traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he spent the bulk of the 2018-19 season. He landed in Miami the year after that and the rest is history.

Butler noted that when he was with the Bulls, the Heat were one of the league’s most dominant teams led by the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Wade, another Marquette alum, became Butler’s teammate when he played with the Bulls for the 2016-17 season and Butler talked about how things have changed since that time.

“When I came into the league, the Heat used to beat the Bulls all the time. They did, when they had the Big 3,” Butler told Andrews. “So me getting drafted (by) the Bulls, it was like: ‘We can’t like the Miami Heat. You can’t like D-Wade even though y’all went to the same school. Then, you fast forward and I’m playing with D-Wade on the Bulls. I’m like: ‘This guy’s not a bad guy.’ … Full circle, now it’ll be the last jersey that I wear.”

Butler on His Heat Teammates: ‘This Group Is Special’

Butler averaged 24.7 points, 6.1 assists and 7.6 rebounds in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. He was named the ECF’s MVP, but Butler told Andrews that personal accolades aren’t what he’s after. He wants the ring that has eluded him over his 12 years in the NBA.

“All I want is championships,” he said, also noting he has faith in the group of relatively unheralded players around him.

“I’m confident in myself as a basketball player and in the group of guys that I have around me,” Butler added. “This group is special. They really are. They really believe that: ‘I have to be the best version of myself, we have to be the best version of ourselves today and then once that day is over with, we’ll take it a day at a time.'”

You can watch Butler’s complete interview with Andrews below.

As a result, they have officially punched their ticket to the NBA Finals for the second time since 2020 and the sixth time in the last 13 seasons.

Despite the fact that Miami entered postseason play as the East’s No. 8 seed, Butler was more than confident in his team’s ability to get back to the promised land. He famously predicted that the Heat would advance to 2023’s title round in the immediate aftermath of last year’s ill-fated conference finals bout with the Celtics.

And, more recently, tennis star Coco Gauff revealed that he was promising people Finals tickets before the Heat had even secured their playoff spot.

Coco Gauff Says That Jimmy Butler Offered Her & Her Family Finals Tickets Several Weeks Ago

After a come-from-behind victory over Spain’s Rebeka Masarova in Round 1 of the French Open on Tuesday, the 19-year-old Gauff — a Delray Beach native — said that Butler had invited her to attend some of the Heat’s early playoff games as his guest. When she responded that she was going to be too busy with tennis tournaments, he came back with an incredibly bold second offer.

“I said, ‘I won’t be here. I’ll be in Madrid and then Rome and then France,'” Gauff recalled. “And then he said, ‘OK, when we make the Finals, let me know if your family wants some tickets.’ So, this was before we were even in the playoffs.”

Based on that exchange alone, Gauff became emboldened as a Heat fan amid the team’s unlikely playoff run.

“Everybody is like, ‘We have a 3% chance of making the Finals, but when he sent me that, I knew we were making the Finals, because he didn’t say, ‘if we make the Finals’ — he said, ‘when we make the Finals.’

“I was like, ‘Oh, we’re going. We’re going to the Finals,'” Gauff said. “So that’s my Jimmy Butler story. He pretty much said we were going to the Finals before we even qualified for the playoffs, and I just really like that mentality.”

Gauff Is Looking to Finish the Job at This Year’s French Open After Losing in the Final Last Year

Just as the Heat are trying to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy again after coming up just short of the goal line in recent years, Gauff is trying to improve upon her final-round loss to Polish star and current world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the 2022 French Open.

As she progresses through the competition, though, she’s doing her best to stay focused on what’s ahead of her as opposed to worrying about what happened last year (or even last set).

“At first, I was like, ‘I have to match last year’s result, blah, blah, blah, Or do better.’ [But] that was last year. I’m like, ‘It’s over. What can I do about it?’ … With the first set [during her win on Tuesday], it’s over,” Gauff said. “Like, ‘What can I do about it?’ You have the choice to dwell on it or reset, and I chose to reset.”

Gauff’s singles tournament will continue on Thursday when she squares off against Julia Grabher of Austria in the second round.

The Boston Celtics became just the fourth team in NBA history to force a Game 7 after falling behind 0-3 in a best-of-seven postseason series. Unfortunately, they also become the 151 team to fall short of successfully coming back from such a deficit, as they fell to the Miami Heat Monday evening by a final score of 103-84.

Though their efforts ultimately weren’t enough to punch their ticket to a second consecutive Finals berth, they certainly went on to gain the respect of Jimmy Butler, who, during his post-game media session, praised the C’s and suggested that they’ll be a contender for many more years to come.

“I’m not going to say losing three in a row is part of the Heat culture that we like to talk about because we don’t play to lose, we don’t want to lose. They’re an incredible team over there and they will be for a while,” Jimmy Butler said.

Butler has voiced rather positive opinions about this Celtics team on numerous occasions throughout this year’s third-round series, with a recent example being when he noted he’s “got a lot of respect” for Marcus Smart.

The Eastern Conference Finals MVP put forth a stellar showing against Boston during Miami’s close-out victory, as he registered 28 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals while shooting 42.9% from the field and 42.9% from deep.

Erik Spoelstra Credits Celtics for Miami’s ‘Different Level’

Though the Celtics and Heat have gone on to forge a rather significant new-age rivalry throughout the past two decades, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra couldn’t help but give Boston credit for their efforts and impact on this series as he praised the franchise for being “first class” during the post-Game 7 trophy presentation.

“We do want to tip our hats to the Boston Celtics and their organization. They are first class and they made us get better. Last year was extremely painful. We thought about it all season long and if you don’t have an opponent like that to bring you to a different level, sometimes you don’t get there,” Erik Spoelstra said of the Celtics.

Since 2020, Boston and Miami have met in the Eastern Conference Finals on three separate occasions. With Monday’s victory, the Heat hold the winning record in these head-to-head bouts 2-1.

Malcolm Brogdon Calls Out Celtics Following Game 7 Loss

To anyone who watched the Celtics throughout this year’s Eastern Conference Finals run, it was rather apparent that the deciding factor in virtually every game’s outcome related to the club’s defensive production.

During his post-game media session following Game 7, Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon was asked by a reporter how big an issue their inconsistent play on the less glamorous side of the ball was for Boston where, in response, he noted that it was “THE” main element in their ultimate demise.

“I think this was a team last year that prided themselves on defense. I think defense was our calling card. This year offense was our calling card. I don’t think you win championships with a better offense than you have a defense. I think, pretty much, we were the best offensive team in the league… Defensively, I thought we had the versatility, I thought we had the talent defensively but on any given night we would just let go of the rope and have a lot of breakdowns on that end,” Malcolm Brogdon said.

During the regular season, the Celtics found themselves finishing with the second-best defensive rating in the entire league at 110.6.

Unfortunately, their level of play seemed to fall off under the bright lights of the postseason, as they dipped to seventh-worst at 112.9 and, against the Miami Heat, saw this number plummet all the way to 116.6.

For the first time in two decades, a team that found itself in a 3-0 hole during an NBA playoff series has forced a Game 7; a monumental achievement by just about any standard. Don’t tell that to Miami Heat fans, though, as their squad allowed it to happen with a heartbreaking Game 6 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday.

Three made free throws off the hands of Heat star Jimmy Butler had given the ballers of Biscayne a one-point advantage at 103-102 with just three seconds remaining on the game clock. However, on the ensuing possession, a missed Marcus Smart jumper was quickly corraled and tipped back through the net by Celtics guard Derrick White.

Consequently, the Beantowners were able to knot the best-of-seven series with a 104-103 win at Kaseya Center. However, not everyone got the memo on the game’s result right away.

In a TikTok video (embedded below) that’s currently making the rounds all over social media, a wedding party full of Heat fans was documented in full celebration mode after what the attendees thought was their team clinching a Finals berth after Smart’s misfire.

Heat Fans’ Premature Victory Celebration Goes Viral

@corygarrastazu

#miamiheat #nba #nbaplayoffs

♬ original sound – Cory G

The video, which has been reuploaded and aggregated on a myriad of platforms, was originally put up by TikTok user @corygarrastazu.

In the clip, wedding guests can be seen huddled around smartphones as the Celtics looked to inbound the ball for their final possession. As soon as Smart’s shot clanged off the iron, the crowd more or less went bananas. People were yelling and jumping up and down, a woman who appeared to be the bride waved one large Heat flag while two men ran around the dance floor with a second one; a “Let’s go Heat!” chant broke out, too.

During the video’s waning seconds, though, you can see a small group of people who are still peering down at a phone begin to realize what had truly happened. It’s devastating and hilarious all at once, and the wedding attendees got lit up in the comments for it.

“Never wanted a part 2 more in my life,” wrote one respondent.

“Heat fans always premature on their Gm 6s lol,” chided another commenter.

“Yeah… this marriage got no shot after this,” joked a third fan.

‘Playoff Jimmy’ Looks to Have Left the Building

In recent years, Butler has established a reputation as one of the best postseason players in the Association, and his brilliance has been on full display at various times during Miami’s current playoff run. More recently, though, the baller has left the South Beach faithful wishing for more.

Over his first 12 appearances of the 2023 playoffs — a span that includes the first two games of the current Eastern Conference Finals series — Butler averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.2 steals per contest while shooting 51.8% from the field and 36.6% from three-point range.

In the four games that have happened since then, Butler’s scoring has dropped all the way down to 20.8 PPG on 36.9% shooting overall and 27.3% from deep. Meanwhile, the Heat are minus-20 when he has been on the floor during that stretch, which is the worst mark teamwide.

On May 25, the Boston Celtics won their second straight game against the Miami Heat to move within one game of drawing level in their Eastern Conference Finals series.

When addressing the media following his team’s loss, sharpshooting guard Duncan Robinson discussed the adjustments Boston has made that have swung the momentum of the series in the Celtics’ favor.

“They’re playing faster, for sure. Shooting more [3-pointers], which is a little bit more of their identity that they’ve kind of had throughout the season,” Robinson said. “We’re not surprised by that. We kind of knew that that’s what it was going to be and just kind of got to make it difficult [and] continue to make it hard. Obviously, they’re a good team with talented players, but we got some guys as well, so we have to continue to make it difficult,” Duncan Robinson said.

Paul Pierce Backs Celtics to Progress to NBA Finals

During a recent conversation with Heavy on Sports Steve Bulpett, legendary forward Paul Pierce discussed Boston’s chances of making history by becoming the first team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in the postseason.

“I mean, they are who they are,” Pierce said. “They’re a team that’s always played well with their back against the wall. They’re counterpunchers. You know, their backs are against the wall, then they respond. That’s how it’s been all season long. I’m not surprised they’re in this spot. I’m a little surprised they went down 3-0, but they always play well when they’re in this position.”

On Saturday, May 27, the Celtics will head into game six of the Eastern Conference Finals, looking to even up their series and force a game seven back at home in the TD Garden.

Jimmy Butler Expecting Heat to Close Out Series

When speaking to the media following the Celtics’ May 25 win, Heat star Jimmy Butler remained upbeat as he shared his belief that his team will close out the series in game six on May 27.

“We just got to play better, start the games off better on the starters, make it more difficult for them,” Butler said. “They’re in the 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 and we’ll just have to close it out at home.”

Should Boston win in game six, the momentum in the series will swing back in their favor, and they will be odds-on favorites to close out the contest in game seven, making history in the process while also repeating their feat from last season, where they knocked Miami out in similar fashion.

Of course, in order for Boston to force a game seven, they will need to take care of business on May 27, in a game that will be in front of Miami’s home crowd at the Kaseya Center – an arena where the Heat has lost just once all postseason.

Since entering the NBA in 2016, Jaylen Brown has shared a locker room with some elite talents.

As such, Brown has witnessed some colorful conversations between his teammates and the referees. During a recent interview with GQ, Brown revealed that former Celtics All-Star Isaiah Thomas was the most disrespectful player he ever shared the court with.

“I’ve played on some teams with some interesting guys who talked a lot of words to the refs,” Brown said. “I think the most disrespectful player that I ever played with was, for sure, Isaiah Thomas. “What was so absurd about it he was the littlest dude on the court, and he talking crazy to everybody. That was Isaiah, and he backed it up.”

During his time with the Celtics, Thomas was part of 25 postseason games over three seasons, amassing a statline of 22.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 40.6% from the field and 30.2% from deep.

Yet, it was Thomas’ fearless approach on the court that endeared him to a worldwide Celtics fanbase, with the player quickly cementing himself as a fan favorite and going down in Celtics folk law for his never-say-die attitude.

Jimmy Butler Claims Heat Will Win Game Six

When speaking to the media following the Celtics May 25 victory over the Miami Heat, All-Star forward Jimmy Butler declared that he’s expecting his team to close out the Eastern Conference Finals in game six on Saturday, May 27.

“We just got to play better, start the games off better on the starters, make it more difficult for them,” Butler said. “They’re in the 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 and we’ll just have to close it out at home.”

In 15 playoff games this season, Butler has positioned himself as one of the best postseason players this season. Averaging 38.6 minutes per night, Butler is producing 28.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 50.5% from deep.

Jayson Tatum Credits Celtics Fans Energy

During his own post-game press conference on May 25, Jayson Tatum discussed the energy boost the TD Garden crowd provided the Celtics – crediting them as the best fans in the world.

“I’m just glad we gave them something to cheer about today,” Tatum said. “We got the best fans in the league, and up until today, we haven’t given them much to cheer for at home, so I was glad that our performance matched the energy that they were giving us, and obviously, it raised our level”

The Celtics will enter game six of the Eastern Conference Finals knowing that a loss would end their season and see the Miami Heat progress onto the NBA Finals. As such, it would be fair to expect another big showing from Boston as they look to force a game seven back in the TD Garden so that they can make good use of their home-court advantage.

Until then, the Celtics will be looking to make it three straight victories over the Heat, allowing them to even up their series. However, if Boston expects to win game six, they will need to defeat the Heat at the Kaseya Center – fortunately, the Celtics are the only team to achieve that feat during Miami’s current playoff run.

Former Philadelphia 76ers star Jrue Holiday singled out Jimmy Butler when talking about how things went down between Holiday’s current team, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Miami Heat when they played in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Holuday talked about what it was like to cover Butler while talking with Ros Gold-Onwude on “Sideline Stroll with Ros.”

“I play defense to go against the best players, no matter what position or however it may be. While I was in it, I was hot. I’m getting my ass busted. And then he [Butler] started talking s*** in the last game. And that’s what competitors do, and Jimmy is the ultimate competitor. But you hate losing. I hate losing.”

Holiday then named some of the greatest players to ever play to illustrate how hard it was to stop Butler.

“A lot of the plays Jimmy Butler made, there was nothing that I could do. There’s nothing that anybody could do. It didn’t matter if it was Brook (Lopez) on him, if it was LeBron James or Michael Jordan on him. It didn’t matter who was on him. Jimmy was playing at a different level.”

The Bucks would go on to lose to the Heat in five games.

Proposed Trade Swaps Ben Simmons For Jordan Poole

Ben Stinar of Sports Illustrated proposed a trade between the Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors involving ex-Sixer Ben Simmons. The following would happen between the two teams.

Warriors receive: Ben Simmons

Nets receive: Jordan Poole

Stinar explained why it would be worth it on the Warriors end to take on Simmons.

“Simmons was once among the best young rising stars in the league.

“The former LSU star has fallen off over the last few seasons (and dealt with injuries), but he can play a pivotal role for the Warriors,” Stinar said.

Stinar added that the Warriors’ success with another previously failed no. 1 pick could inspire them to try to do the same with Simmons.

“When next season begins, Simmons will only be 27 years old, and the Warriors have an excellent history of getting the best out of players.

“Andrew Wiggins had the reputation of being a draft bust, but in his third season with the franchise, he started in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game (and helped the Warriors win the title).”

Stinar said that because the Warriors are not good on defense statistically, they could use someone like Simmons.

“In 2023, the Warriors ranked just 21st in opponents’ points per game (116.6 PPG) and 25th in blocks per game (4.0).

“Therefore, it’s clear they need to look for players who can help them on defense.”

GM Floats Kawhi Leonard as Trade Package For Joel Embiid

An NBA GM told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney what it would take to pry Joel Embiid away from the Sixers and which player specifically could be acquired in return for Embiid.

“It would have to be a star, a proven star,” the GM said. “They want one player back, an even swap. There are not many who fit that with Embiid. Kawhi (Leonard) might be the only guy who really fits, a guy they (the Clippers) might be willing to move off of and who would be in the same category as Embiid, a guy (Morey) would even consider. I am not even sure Paul George would fit. It would have to be Kawhi. That is just my guess. That’s how strong they are on Joel.

As the Boston Celtics have stuttered their way through the first few games of the Eastern Conference Finals, the media has begun to discuss the potential of Boston’s moving on from their current core.

As you would expect, Jaylen Brown‘s name has been floated as the potential casualty should the Celtics decide to make some large-scale changes to their current roster. According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, who was speaking on a May 22 episode of The Lowe Post podcast, Brown would command significant interest if the Celtics were to make him available for trade.

“There would be robust demand for Jaylen Brown from a lot of teams if Boston ever actually started making or listening or picking up the phone or whatever you do with your phone when you maybe investigate a trade,” Lowe said.

Brown, 26, was recently voted to the 2023 All-NBA second team, making him eligible for a supermax contract as a result – a contract that would see the Georgia native earn roughly $290 million over five years.

Jaylen Brown Calls Out Trade Discussions

When speaking to the media following the Celtics May 23 victory over the Miami Heat, Brown appeared to take a shot at all of the discussions surrounding a potential roster change for the Celtics.

“Obviously, we underperformed in the last three games, and you start to hear all these stories coming out about X, Y, and Z,” Brown said. “Who knows where they actually come from? And 99 percent of them aren’t true at all. So we wanted to stay together, and I think that was the emphasis last night, was make sure we was on the same page.”

In 17 playoff games so far, Brown is producing 22.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 50.3% from the field and 37.9% from the perimeter.

Furthermore, the Celtics will need Brown to continue playing at that level if they want to make history by coming back from 3-0 down to win the series and progress to the NBA Finals.

Jimmy Butler Expects Loss to Motivate Heat

During his own post-game press conference, Jimmy Butler noted how Miami’s first home loss of the postseason could galvanize the Heat’s roster and help them close out the series in game five.

“If anything, it’ll build momentum for us knowing that we have to play with a lot more energy. We have to play like our backs are against the wall, but I think all year long, we’ve been better whenever we’ve had to do things our way,” Butler said.

Butler is arguably the star of this years playoffs, having willed the Heat back to the Conference Finals after a tough regular season for the franchise. In 14 postseason games so far, Butler has amassed a statline of 29.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 53.5% from two-point range and 34.8% from deep.

The Celtics will face Miami in game five on Thursday, May 25, where they will be playing in front of their home crowd in the TD Garden – however, anything but a win will abruptly end their season, and the discussions about potentially rebuilding the team’s roster will quickly return.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler isn’t worried.

The Heat dropped its first game of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, losing Game 4, 116-99, but Butler’s hand is nowhere near the panic button. The veteran forward led the way for the Heat once again, scoring a team-high 29 points in the loss, also leading the squad in rebounds with nine.

Miami still holds a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, which could have something to do with Butler’s calm demeanor, although his confidence hasn’t wavered much throughout the postseason. After the loss to Boston, Butler revealed why this defeat will motivate the Heat, and he also posted the following on Instagram:

“Disappointed but determined,” Butler captioned, sharing an image of himself blocking Celtics’ star Jaylen Brown’s layup attempt in the first quarter of Game 4.

Butler: This Loss ‘Will Build Momentum for Us’

Few expected the No. 8 seed Heat to go far in the playoffs. Miami needs one more win to make it to the NBA Finals, something it last did after the 2019-2020 season. The Heat haven’t won it all since 2013 and Butler has never won a ring, so there’s plenty of motivation to go around. Butler, for one, has been relishing the role of underdog.

“If anything, it’ll build momentum for us, knowing that we have to play with a lot more energy,” Butler said on May 23 following the Game 4 loss. “We’ve got to play like our backs are against the wall. I think all year long, we’ve been better when we’ve had to do things our way.”

Butler also noted that the team’s postgame routine wasn’t going to change despite going home with a loss.

“We’re gonna listen to some music, drink some beers. Fittin’ to go have some wine,” he said, adding: “I don’t think that you can just focus on basketball all the time. You have to be able to get away from the game a little bit. But at the end of the day, you fall back on your habits. How consistent you’re going to be. … We’re gonna smile and we’re gonna be in this thing together like we always are.”

Heat Had Forgettable 2nd Half in Game 4 Against Boston

Miami led at the half, 56-50, but the Celtics surged in a strong third quarter, outscoring the Heat 38-23. Butler didn’t score at all in the second quarter and he went nearly 20 minutes without putting any points on the board, not scoring until there was 6:11 remaining in the third.

The Heat also struggled from downtown. After shooting nearly 57% from 3-point range in Game 3, Miami went just 8-of-32 (25%) from beyond the arc in Game 4. The Heat also committed 16 turnovers to the Celtics’ 10 and that was a factor, as well. Still, Butler and company are confident they can right the ship.

“The only thing I’m going to say is we’ll be OK,” Butler said. “Let’s get back to doing what we’ve always done to get us to this point: Continually have belief in one another, knowing that we are going to win, and we will. We’ve just got to play harder. There’s not too much to say with this group because we already know. So we’ve just got to go out there and execute.”

The series will now return to Boston for Game 5.

With their backs up against the wall, the Boston Celtics claimed their first win of the Eastern Conference Finals Tuesday evening, besting the Miami Heat by a final score of 116-99. Now, the club heads back to Massachusetts for a Game 5 on Thursday night where they hope this positive energy will carry over.

Unfortunately for them, however, Heat star Jimmy Butler doesn’t seem to believe that a major shift in favor of the Celtics is coming, as the wing informed reporters during his post-game media session that he’s not all that worried about momentum being “on the Boston side of things.”

“If anything it’ll build momentum for us knowing that we have to play with a lot more energy. We have to play like our backs are against the wall but I think all year long we’ve been better whenever we’ve had to do things our way,” Jimmy Butler said.

In a follow-up statement, Butler mentioned that despite the loss to the Celtics, in preparation for Game 5, he and his teammates are “going to fall on old habits,” specifically noting that they’re “going to smile, we’re going to be in this thing together like we always are, and we’re going to get one on the road.”

Jayson Tatum Dishes on Celtics Mindset After Game 3 Loss

Being down 3-0 and coming off a disastrous blowout loss to the Heat in Sunday’s Game 3, many expected morale and confidence to be rather low within the Celtics locker room heading into Tuesday’s affair.

However, instead, Boston seemingly managed to shove any low thoughts and feelings aside and put forth their best performance of round three, and, during his post-game media session, star forward Jayson Tatum explained the mindset that kept their heads high and eyes focused on achieving that highly coveted first win of the series.

“We’re just trying to take it one game at a time. We didn’t play well those first three games [and] we didn’t deserve to win. But we didn’t want that to define us, to define the season. And we still got a long, uphill battle to go but tonight was a good start,” Jayson Tatum said.

Jayson Tatum paved the way toward victory for the Celtics and easily had his best showing of this year’s Eastern Conference Finals in Game 4, as he posted a tremendous all-around stat line of 33 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal while shooting 63.6% from the floor and 44.4% from deep.

Grant Williams Opens Up on Defensive Goal for Celtics

For the first time in this year’s conference finals, the Heat seemed to struggle with their offensive game, particularly from long-range and failed to eclipse the century mark for just the second time this postseason.

Discussing their defensive approach during a post-game interview, Celtics big man Grant Williams provided insight on the defensive agenda that his team abides by when squaring off against Miami.

“This team beats you by playing harder than you and knocking down those [3-pointers] and open opportunities so we just have to maintain our pressure, maintain that perspective. Understanding that no matter what’s going on just make that extra effort… Even when we’re tired we get back and we don’t allow easy transition baskets because that’s how leads slip,” Grant Williams said.

Coming into Game 4, Miami was shooting lights out against the Celtics, converting on 51.9% of their attempts from the field and 47.8% from deep. Tuesday night, however, Boston held the Heat to just 43.6% shooting from the floor and a lowly 25.0% from beyond the arc.

Having Miami Heat cornerstone  Jimmy Butler on your bad side has oft proven to be a bad omen for teams throughout his NBA career. The Boston Celtics are currently finding this out the hard way, for not only has the perennial All-Star been a pest with his play, but with his antics on and off the court as well.

Following Miami’s Game 3 blowout over the Celtics, Jimmy Butler posted a myriad of images to his personal Instagram account, with the featured picture being him on one knee showcasing the hand symbol for “timeout,” which, when done, was a direct shot at Celtics big man Al Horford for doing the same gesture toward the Heat after going on a 13-3 run in the second period of Game 1.

Jimmy Butler has simply been incredible during the Heat’s 2023 postseason run and has only continued his dominance against the Celtics now in a rematch of last year’s conference finals.

Through three games played, the wing finds himself posting dominant all-around averages of 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and just shy of a block while shooting 46.0% from the field.

Led by his efforts and leadership, the Heat find themselves on the verge of advancing to their second NBA Finals in four years, as they hold a 3-0 series lead over Boston.

Al Horford Takes Responsibility for Celtics Loss

Though some, including Joe Mazzulla himself, believe the latest loss for the Celtics was largely due to the failures of the coaching staff, big man Al Horford has a different opinion on who’s to blame for the team’s shortcomings.

Asked during his post-game media session who he believes should take responsibility for Boston’s lackluster showing, the veteran suggested that the players are the ones that ultimately need to take ownership.

“At the end of the day [responsibility] falls on each player. We know what we have to do. We knew the magnitude of this game and, as a player, I take responsibility because we didn’t have what we needed to have so that’s what that is,” Al Horford said.

Horford would continue on by stating that while the Celtics are “rightfully so being counted out” of this series being that they find themselves down 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, ultimately, he made it clear that he and his teammates must understand they still have a chance, saying “we’re not out yet.”

Charles Barkley ‘Embarrassed’ for Celtics

Despite sporting the second-best record in the entire association this season, the Celtics find themselves on the verge of being eliminated by the eighth-seeded Miami Heat.

Discussing the lowly play by the team thus far into their Eastern Conference Finals bout, NBA Hall of Famer and current Inside the NBA personality Charles Barkley put Boston on blast.

“I’m embarrassed for the Celtics,” Barkley said. “That display of basketball…No mental toughness. Complaining on every single call. They made the refs mad because they complained on every single call.”

On the night, the Celtics shot a putrid 39.8% from the field and 26.2% from deep and coughed up a whopping 15 turnovers while allowing the Heat to sport a conversion rate of 56.8% shooting from the field and 54.3% from beyond the arc.

The Chicago Bulls are leading the charge questioning NBA players’ passion for the game.

Patrick Beverley said “50%” of players in the league don’t love the game on the ‘REALONESLIVE’ stream on May 3. Teammate DeMar DeRozan “100%” agreed adding that there are some “sorry m*****f******” in the NBA on ‘Podcast P with Paul George‘ on May 15.

Now, it is Alex Caruso‘s turn, albeit a bit more indirectly, as he called into question the study habits the Philadelphia 76ers players displayed in their Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics.

“I…wonder if guys watch film,” Caruso asked rhetorically on ‘The Old Man & the Three’ with J.J. Redick on May 17. “If Jayson Tatum has the ball in his left hand, there’s probably a 95% chance that he’s going to shoot it…It was blowing me away that nobody knew he was going to shoot it…You’ve got to take something away.”

Miami “limited” Tatum to 30 points in the ECF opener.

Still, Tatum’s 51-point explosion in the loss led to Sixers head coach Doc Rivers being fired after just three seasons, the shortest stint of his 24-year head coaching career. It also led to a little interaction between Caruso and Redick on social media.

Rivers told ESPN’s Malika Andrews on ‘NBA Today’ on April 13 that his Los Angeles Clippers teams — which went to the postseason four straight years and in six of seven seasons from 2013-14 to 2019-20 — failed to get over the hump because they didn’t “cooperate”.

Rivers’ L.A. teams failed to make it beyond the second round, a feat they only accomplished three times in his seven seasons as head coach.

Rivers coached Redick with the Clippers from 2013-14 through the 2016-17 season.

Alex Caruso Laments ‘Missed Opportunity’ vs Heat

The Bulls were mere minutes away from making their second consecutive trip to the postseason but fell just short, losing in the second round of the Play-In Tournament to the Miami Heat.

That same Heat team is up 1-0 on the second-seeded Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

“That Play-In game hurts,” Caruso told Redick. “Definitely a missed opportunity…just came up short. It was one of those years for us, too, where that was kind of our MO. We were just a little up and down, and we were down at the wrong time.”

Chicago held a six-point lead over Miami with just 8:27 to go in the game.

The Heat outscored the Bulls 27-10 the rest of the way, earning a 102-91 victory and Miami moved on to the playoffs where they have summarily dispatched the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks in five and six games, respectively.

But Caruso made note that the Heat have taken their play to another level since the regular season led by former Bulls (and Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers) star Jimmy Butler who scored 35 points in the ECF opener and has a 56-point effort – the fourth-largest in league playoff history – to his credit from Game 4 of the first round against the Bucks.

“To be fair, the Heat from that fourth quarter to moving on, they’ve been a different team than they were all season,” Caruso said. “They flipped a switch and did something.”

Caruso also pinpointed where things went wrong for the Bulls in that game.

“We didn’t make any shots in the fourth, and we just gave up too many paint points, and then Jimmy’s just a master at kind of getting to the stuff that he gets to.”

Chicago went 3-for-13 from the floor and 2-for-6 from beyond the arc in that stretch. Butler has had a strong postseason run highlighted by a 56-point outburst in the first round.

Alex Caruso Reacts to Making First-Team All-Defense

Caruso’s All-Defensive selection was the only accolade a Bulls player came away with this season after the team took a step back from last year. Despite that, Caruso set new career highs in effective field goal percentage (and overall field goal percentage), free-throw efficiency, blocks per game, total appearances, and starts.

The last two allowed him to showcase his wares and cement himself as one of the NBA’s best defenders.

“Towards the end of the year, I almost kind of expected it to happen just because I thought I had a really good year,” he admitted. “I didn’t really think many guys were as consistent as me and had the type of year defensively that I did. And, plus, just I guard everybody’s best player.”

As the reality of his accomplishment set in, Caruso says he took time to appreciate his progress.

“I watched some of my clips from when I was…in L.A., and I was like, ‘This guy went from that to making First-Team All-Defense,” Caruso said. “That’s a hell of a accomplishment.’

Caruso worked his way from being undrafted out of Texas A&M through the G League and a two-way contract into the Lakers’ rotation and helping key their first successful title run in a decade.

“I’ve taken stuff over the years that great defensive-minded coaches have had and just…kept building on it, and mixing it with some natural talent that I have to be able to know where the ball is going.”

Caruso tied New Orleans Pelicans swingman Herb Jones for fifth in deflections among players to see action in more than one game during the regular season, per NBA.com.

He credited former Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daignault – a former disciple of Bulls head coach Billy Donovan and Caruso’s coach with the Thunder’s G League affiliate – and former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel for helping him become more disruptive since he first entered the league.

For most of his tenure with the Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum has been viewed as a player with MVP-level talent but the lack of consistency to eventually win the award.

Even during the Celtics’ current postseason run, Tatum has flitted between single-digit scoring nights and a 51-point explosion to send the Philadelphia 76ers home. However, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith doesn’t believe that Tatum is as inconsistent as what some believe, noting how the All-Star forward has tasted plenty of postseason success in his young career.

Jimmy Butler Praises Jayson Tatum

During his post-game press conference, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler discussed the difficulties in trying to guard Tatum throughout a 48-minute contest, labeling him an MVP-caliber player in the process.

You can add Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young to the growing list of people impressed by the playoff dominance exhibited by Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler.

The No. 8 seed Heat continued it’s plucky playoff run, winning Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals over the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics, 123-116.

Butler finished with a game-high 35 points against the Celtics, going 12-of-25 from the field (stats via Basketball Reference). He also to handed out seven assists, nabbed six steals and snagged 5.0 rebounds — numbers that have put him in elite company.

After the Game 1 upset over Boston, several players reacted to Butler’s performance, including Young, who tweeted Butler was playing “at a different level.”

Trae Young Has Been Rumored Trade Target for Heat

Young, who was selected fifth overall in the 2018 draft, has been the subject of trade rumors since last season, when multiple NBA insiders revealed the 24-year-old point guard and his current team, the Atlanta Hawks, could be on the road to parting ways.

“With the offseason approaching, league sources say the Hawks’ front office has the green light from ownership to do whatever it wants to with the roster, which includes considering trade opportunities involving All-Star point guard Trae Young,” Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported on April 10.

Another NBA insider, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, wrote in December of 2022 that “Trae Young could be the next player on a rookie max extension to request a trade if the team doesn’t make inroads come postseason time.”

Considering the Heat could use a young point guard to serve as court general for years to come,  Young’s name has come up as a trade possibility for them this offseason.

Naturally, when Young gave “Playoff Jimmy” a nod, some Heat fans began recruiting the current Hawks guard to South Beach.

Young just completed his fifth season in Atlanta, where he averaged 26.2 points and a career-high 10.2 assists. Time will tell whether he enters the trade market, and whether or not the Heat truly have any interest.

Butler Has Been Historic in Playoffs

The Heat have a 9-3 record since the playoffs began, and they largely have one player to thank for that. Butler has been on a tear since the Heat entered the postseason courtesy of a play-in win over the Chicago Bulls. He scored 56 points in Game 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, which is tied the fourth-most points in a playoff game in NBA history.

He also scored 35 points, had 11 assists, 5.8 boards and three steals in Game 1 against the Bucks. He averaged over 37 points a game in that series and was a big reason Miami advanced against the 5th seeded New York Knicks in the semifinals.

Butler has amassed eight games in which he has scored 40 or more points in the playoffs for Miami — a franchise record. His performance so far through 12 playoff games has been historic.

The veteran forward has been more than a scoring machine, often leading Miami in assists and steals, as he did in the team’s Game 1 win in Boston. Butler has never won an NBA championship and the desire for a ring is clearly there. We’ll see if he and the Heat can ride this current wave all the way into the finals.

For the second straight playoff series, the Boston Celtics lost their opening game, this time at the hands of the Miami Heat.

During a second-half time out, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was caught throwing his clipboard onto the bench in frustration, as his team had let their lead slip away due to some sub-par play on both sides of the floor.

The Celtics had started the contest in an encouraging fashion, ending the first half with a nine-point lead at 66-57. However, following the break, the Miami Heat turned up the pressure.

Outhustling Boston on the glass, in transition, and during half-court sets, Miami was able to turn the tide during the third quarter, scoring 46 points to Boston’s 25. It was that swing in production that set the Heat on the path to victory as a shellshocked Celtics team struggled to regain a foothold throughout the remainder of the game.

Jimmy Butler Discusses Defending Jayson Tatum

Boston’s May 17 series opener against the Heat was the first game since Jayson Tatum had dropped 51 points on the Philadelphia 76ers to ensure his team progressed onto the Eastern Conference finals.

For the majority of the game, Jimmy Butler undertook the task of trying to keep Boston’s star forward contained – something which he discussed following Miami’s impressive win.

“Stay down, don’t foul, [and] make everything difficult for him,” Butler said. “You got to guard him with all five bodies out there on the floor. I think we did an excellent job of that.”

Yet, despite a valiant effort from Butler and his Miami teammates, Tatum still produced a game that saw him register 30 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block on 52.9% shooting from the field and 33.3% shooting from deep.

“That’s what MVP-caliber players do,” Butler said. “They do everything incredibly well. He made shots. He got to the free-throw line. He hit the three. Mid-post, transition, all of that.”

Unfortunately for the Celtics, Tatum was unable to replicate his performance from May 14 and help lead his team past the Heat to register the opening win of the series.

Marcus Smart Makes Admission on Celtics Mentality

Following Boston’s May 18 loss, Marcus Smart discussed what leads the Celtics to have mid-game slumps from time to time, noting how they can get ‘tired’ of doing the ‘little things’ throughout a game.

“We get tired of doing the little things sometimes,” Smart said. “I think that showed – exactly what we was talking about earlier – our spacing. We have a lot of great players, but when we’re all on top of each other, nobody can be great. When you’ve got a good defensive team like Miami, they make you pay for that. So, we gotta make sure we do those little things, and we can’t get bored with those.”

The Heat are known for their willingness to play with physicality and battle on the defensive end, as such, the Celtics will need to maintain their focus throughout the full 48 minutes of each game. Otherwise, Boston will struggle to progress onto the NBA Finals.

Game two of the Celtics Eastern Conference Finals contest against Miami is scheduled for Friday, May 19 at the TD Garden.

The 2023 NBA Eastern Conference finals between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics tipped off May 17, and for the Heat, the best-of-seven bout began exactly as the club’s previous two rounds did — with a surprising win.

Once again, it was Jimmy Butler who set the tone for the eighth-seeded Heat, dropping a game-high 35 points and adding seven assists, six steals and five rebounds. After the contest, Spoelstra raved about the impact Butler has on games, as well as his teammates, when he’s in that zone.

“You can’t quantify it. There’s no analytic to it. Just the feeling of stability in the locker room,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “There’s just a settling effect that is impossible to quantify.”

After having fallen behind by double digits heading into halftime, Spoelstra‘s squad utilized a 46-point explosion in the third quarter to wrest control of the contest from the Celtics, then hung on in the final frame for a 123-116 win to take a 1-0 series lead.

Heat Star Jimmy Butler’s Ball-Hawking Exploits During Game 1 Were Next Level

While Butler’s gaudy box score and the empowering effect that Spoelstra referenced were further evidence for the baller’s increasingly obvious superstar case, one could argue that the thing that stood out the most about his individual effort during Game 1 may have been his exploits on the defensive end.

In particular, Butler’s six steals — three of which came during the fourth quarter and played a part in Miami’s ability to finish the job — loomed large. Not only that but they represented a rare feat in the NBA’s playoff annals as well.

There had only been 20 instances of a player logging six or more steals in a conference finals game entering Game 1. The last player to do so was Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry in 2017 against the San Antonio Spurs.

Meanwhile, only Hall of Famer Rick Barry and eight-time All-Star Paul George exceeded Butler’s point total on the other end amid their ball-hawking efforts.

Said Spoelstra of Butler’s defensive contributions during Game 1: “As one of the premier — if not the premier — two-way basketball players in this Association, that’s what we needed. We needed him to make some plays defensively. We needed him to also just be ball containment defensively. On the ball, off the ball — all that stuff.”

Kyle Lowry Adds His Own Two Cents on Butler’s Playoff Brilliance

As relayed by the NBA’s official Twitter account, Heat point guard Kyle Lowry was similarly taken by Butler’s two-way domination. For him, Miami’s cornerstone brings out a level of enjoyment in the game itself with his talents, even as the stakes are high.

“It’s fun,” Lowry declared. “Bam [Adebayo] said it’s amazing. I think it’s just great to be a part of this run he’s been on since, I don’t know how long it’s been now, but that’s what he does. He’s one of the best players in the world for a reason and it’s just a joy to watch it.

“He gives us all the confidence to be successful…”

The Boston Celtics hold homecourt advantage in this year’s Eastern Conference Finals, but it’s the Miami Heat who are coming away from Wednesday night’s opener with a 1-0 series lead. Paving the way to victory for the boys from South Beach was Jimmy Butler who not only excelled on the offensive end but on the less glamorous side of the ball as well.

Coming into the contest, it was reported that the star wing had desires to matchup against Celtics centerpiece Jayson Tatum on defense, and, though there were many switches throughout the affair, during the pivotal fourth quarter he made his presence felt at the expense of the three-time All-Star.

Asked post-game what the “strategy collectively” was when defending Boston’s star forward, Jimmy Butler noted three points of emphasis, in particular.

“Stay down, don’t foul, [and] make everything difficult for him,” Jimmy Butler said on defending Jayson Tatum. “You got to guard him with all five bodies out there on the floor. I think we did an excellent job of that.”

Butler would continue on by noting that despite being pleased with his team’s efforts on the night, ultimately, “we still got another one to win.”

During the crunch time fourth quarter the Heat seemingly locked in on the Celtics star from a defensive standpoint, as they held Jayson Tatum to just six points, all of which came from the free throw line, and forced him into three grueling turnovers, which led to seven total points.

Jimmy Butler, on the other hand, once again had himself a sensational all-around game from start to finish, as he registered a game-high 35 points while shooting 48.0% from the field and 50.0% from deep to go along with 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and a whopping 6 steals.

Joe Mazzulla Says Celtics Dropped Their ‘Sense of Urgency’

The Boston Celtics may have lost their Game 1 matchup against the Miami Heat, but, for a large portion of the contest, they were sitting soundly in the driver’s seat. During the final two minutes of the second period, they even saw themselves holding a 13-point edge while coming off a 15-2 run.

However, throughout the third quarter, Boston saw their lead gradually slip away which, ultimately, paved the way toward them losing by a final score of 123-116.

Though there are many factors that played into their eventual demise, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla believes their loss is a result of simply letting their foot off the gas.

“We won three out of the four quarters. We lost one quarter because we dropped our sense of urgency,” Mazzulla said during his post-game media session.

The “one quarter” Mazzulla is referring to is the highly crucial third period where the Heat outscored the Celtics 46-25 while converting on a highly efficient 65.4% of their attempts from the field and 66.7% of their attempts from distance.

Outside of this particular timeframe, Boston outpaced Miami 91-77 through the other three quarters in Game 1.

Jayson Tatum Highlights Necessary Adjustments for Celtics

To no surprise, during his post-game media session, Jayson Tatum acknowledged that the 46 points let up during the game’s third quarter served as a major factor in Boston’s loss in Game 1.

However, when discussing the period, the forward highlighted the areas in which they needed to hone in on to prevent such an outburst moving forward.

“We gave up 46 points in the third so that’s defense, transition, offensive rebounds, and not closing out the shooters. There’s some things that we really gotta focus on and go over tomorrow at practice,” Jayson Tatum said.

Despite Tatum’s late-game struggles, overall, the All-NBA talent played as such during his 41 minutes of action. The 25-year-old led all Celtics players with 30 points on 52.9% shooting from the field while racking up 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block along the way.

As the Boston Celtics prepare for their Eastern Conference finals opener against the Miami Heat, the coaching staff has probably drilled them on how to attack the different zone defenses they will inevitably face.

However, according to an Eastern Conference coach who spoke with Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, Al Horford‘s presence within the rotation will go a long way to limiting the effectiveness of Miami’s zone defense.

“When the Heat goes from their crazy, wild man defense to their zone, it is not going to be a tough adjustment for Boston like it is for other teams,” The coach said. “Now they got the ball handlers — [Marcus] Smart, Derrick White, [Malcolm] Brogdon — to bust the zone, and they got the shooters to bust the zone. Al Horford is a key because if he is making 3s, Bam [Adebayo] has to go with him, and then the whole defense falls apart.”

Horford ended the season as one of the NBA’s most fearsome perimeter scorers but has struggled during the playoffs, converting just 27.5% of his 5.7 attempts per game.

Al Horford Sends Stark Reminder to Celtics

During a recent discussion with Heavy Sports’ NBA insider Steve Bulpett, Horford discussed the urgency with which he believes the Celtics should be approaching games, noting that championship windows don’t stay open for long.

“If you look at it, the reality is that even though a lot of younger guys think they have opportunities and will have more of them, these doors close,” Horford said. “So when we’re in these positions, I think everybody is starting to understand that, you know, even though, ‘Oh, I’m young. I have time,’ and this and that, it’s not guaranteed that you’re going to be in these positions. That’s something that I feel like we understand, and that’s why we’re trying to make the most of it.”

Miami will surely pose a different threat than the Philadelphia 76ers, but given Boston’s strength in depth, and the talent level of the top seven or eight in their rotation, they should be able to advance to the NBA Finals if they stay locked in throughout the series.

Jimmy Butler Sends Message to the Boston Celtics

Following a Miami Heat practice session on May 16, Jimmy Butler cut a confident figure, claiming 2023 was the Heat’s year to win a championship during an interview with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

“This year is our year. We’re going to go into this Game 1 and do what we’re supposed to do and be the first one to four. We are very capable of it. We have enough. Guys are playing some incredible basketball. I like our chances, as does everyone in this organization,” Jimmy Butler said.

Butler has been a problem for opposing teams throughout the postseason, producing a stat line of 31.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game on 52.7% shooting from the field and a 36.1% conversion rate from deep.

The Boston Celtics will open their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, May 17.

According to an Eastern Conference Scout, who spoke with Heavy on Sports’ Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, the bench matchup between Malcolm Brogdon and Kyle Lowry will be a deciding factor regarding which team progresses to the NBA Finals.

One of the matchups, and I don’t know how much they will directly match up, but just as the guys off the bench, one of the matchups that is going to be really important is (Malcolm) Brogdon and how he does against how Kyle Lowry does,” The scout said. “Lowry has been very scrappy, he has gotten them big buckets when they need it, but Brogdon is the better player and needs to keep that going.

I don’t know why people are not talking about Brogdon more. He has been the third-best player on that team in the playoffs. If he wins that matchup with Lowry and wins it big—like he should—this is going to be a short series.

Brogdon has continued his impressive regular-season form for the Celtics throughout the postseason. In 13 playoff games so far, Brogdon is producing 14.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 45.5% from two-point range and 43.5% from the perimeter.

Jimmy Butler Sends Warning to the Boston Celtics

During an exclusive interview with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Miami’s veteran forward, Jimmy Butler, gave a confident prediction ahead of the series opener on May 17.

“This year is our year. We’re going to go into this Game 1 and do what we’re supposed to do and be the first one to four. We are very capable of it. We have enough. Guys are playing some incredible basketball. I like our chances, as does everyone in this organization,” Jimmy Butler said.

Al Horford Sends Message to Celtics Roster

During an exclusive interview with Heavy on Sports’ Steve Bulpett on May 16, veteran big man Al Horford shared the message he has been relaying to his younger teammates as he looks to galvanize a roster that is brimming with talent.

“If you look at it, the reality is that even though a lot of younger guys think they have opportunities and will have more of them, these doors close,” Horford said. “You know what I’m saying?… So when we’re in these positions, I think everybody is starting to understand that, you know, even though, ‘Oh, I’m young. I have time,’ and this and that, it’s not guaranteed that you’re going to be in these positions. That’s something that I feel like we understand, and that’s why we’re trying to make the most of it.”

The Celtics will likely be looking to ride the momentum that their big game seven victory over the Philadelphia 76ers provided and take early control of their Conference Finals series against the Heat on May 17.

For the third time in four years, the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will be duking it out in the Eastern Conference Finals. While the two ball clubs may have stark differences when it comes to their on-court play, with the C’s being more finesse and the Heat providing more brute force, Jaylen Brown sees one particular similarity between the teams.

Asked by a reporter during a practice day media session if he looks to a guy like Jimmy Butler as being a talent he aspires to play like, the two-time All-Star noted that he sees similar qualities between him and guys like the Heat wing as well as Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard.

“Being a two-way player that plays both sides of the ball, impacts the game in different ways, kind of similar to those guys,” Jaylen Brown said.

Brown’s two-way abilities have been on full display throughout the playoffs, as he’s been arguably the best and most consistent overall player on the Celtics throughout their current run.

Through 13 games, the 26-year-old is posting impressive averages of 24.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steals, and half a block while shooting 54.1% from the field and 47.1% from deep.

Jaylen Brown Understands This Heat Team is ‘Different’

Even with his belief that he and Jimmy Butler have similar types of games, Jaylen Brown told reporters that he understands this Miami Heat team the Celtics are gearing up to face is different than the iterations they’ve gone up against during past playoff runs.

“They got a different team in a sense that they got some injuries. Some guys are playing better than they were last year. It’s not the same team as last year. Jimmy is still Jimmy and [Erik Spoelstra] is still Spo so we gotta make sure that we’re aware of everybody else: Kevin Love, [Max] Strus, Duncan Robinson’s playing in this series. We just got to be alert,” Jaylen Brown said.

Brown would continue on by acknowledging that Miami has been one of the hottest teams during this year’s postseason, stating that “they beat a number one team, they beat a hungry New York Knicks team” and that it’s now up to Boston to “find a way to cool the Heat off.”

The Celtics and Heat squared off against one another on four separate occasions during the regular season, with each team claiming two wins apiece.

Jimmy Butler Predicts Heat Will Beat Celtics

The two teams may have split their regular season series and have each claimed a series win during their last two postseason bouts, but Jimmy Butler believes in his team’s chances of pulling ahead in their head-to-head record this year.

During a recent practice day media session, the perennial All-Star made the bold prediction that, come series end, it will be the Heat who will wind up beating the Boston Celtics and, in turn, representing the Eastern Conference in the 2023 NBA Finals.

“This year is our year. We’re going to go into this Game 1 and do what we’re supposed to do and be the first one to four. We are very capable of it. We have enough. Guys are playing some incredible basketball. I like our chances, as does everyone in this organization,” Jimmy Butler said.

Despite Butler’s confidence, it appears the oddsmakers are not of the same mindset as they currently have the Celtics listed as favorites to not only win this year’s Eastern Conference Finals series but to take home the 2023 Larry O’Brien Trophy.

As of this writing, we’re just over 24 hours away from Game 1 of the Miami Heat‘s Eastern Conference Finals matchup with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics. For oddsmakers, pundits and hoops fans alike, the team’s path to Round 3 is perhaps the unlikeliest journey taken in the NBA this season.

If you ask Heat star Jimmy Butler, however, he might tell you that his team’s return engagement with the Celtics was fated by the stars. Or, more accurately, by himself.

In the immediate aftermath of Miami’s postseason dismissal after a hotly-contested Game 7 during the 2022 conference finals, Butler boldly declared that the ballers of Biscayne would be back again in 2023, and that the end result would be different as well. It’s a premonition that’s shockingly close to being proved true despite the club’s No. 8 seed, its play-in status and a pair of brutal injuries.

While speaking to reporters during the Heat’s final practice leading up to the redux, Butler touted his previous prediction and served up another doozy about the title chase at large. Specifically, that Miami is destined to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy this time around.

Jimmy Butler Says That 2023 Is the Heat’s Year (to Win It All?)

Upon being reminded of his old promise, Butler declared: “If I did say it I probably meant it.”

The Heat’s regular season may not have played out as anyone expected following the team’s 2021-22 run — and losing Tyler Herro in Round 1 still feels like a killer — but Butler clearly remains in title-or-bust mode. And he’s confident that the Celtics won’t be making a liar out of him.

“Just like every year I say we’re going to win a championship, I mean it. This year is our year. We’re going to go into this Game 1 and do what we’re supposed to do and be the first one to four [wins]. We’re very capable of it. We have enough … I like our chances as does everyone else in this organization.”

At the absolute least, it’s probably safe to assume that Butler will be holding his end up in the attempt.

So far this postseason, the six-time All-Star has averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.7 steals over 10 appearances while hitting pay dirt on 52.7% of his field-goal attempts and 36.1% of his attempts from three-point range.

Of the four teams still remaining, FanDuel has the Heat as the longshot as a +1500 bet to win the championship.

Erik Spoelstra Taken Back by Doc Rivers Firing

As the Heat made their final preparations for the best-of-seven bout with the Cs on Tuesday, word of the rival Philadelphia 76ers‘ decision to part ways with head coach Doc Rivers began to spread around the team’s practice.

For his part, Spoelstra was dumbstruck by the development, and by other recent firings that have occurred around the league.

“It’s disturbing,” Spoelstra said via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Doc’s a Hall of Famer. … You get past the first round, there’s going to be some really good teams. Great players, great organizations, great coaching staffs that are going to lose. It’s part of the nature of this beast. There’s only so many teams that can advance.

“It’s just a really hard thing to do. It’s been a tough couple weeks, hearing the news of some really surprising firings.”

After a grueling seven-game series against the Philadelphia 76ers in round two of the NBA Playoffs, the Boston Celtics now find themselves gearing up for an Eastern Conference Finals date with a hungry and motivated Miami Heat team.

Though Joe Mazzulla and company are the higher seed and, thus, hold the coveted home-court advantage, Jimmy Butler doesn’t seem to think these factors will matter all that much during their upcoming series, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that he predicts the Heat will be the ultimate victors.

“This year is our year. We’re going to go into this Game 1 and do what we’re supposed to do and be the first one to four. We are very capable of it. We have enough. Guys are playing some incredible basketball. I like our chances, as does everyone in this organization,” Jimmy Butler said.

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat have been absolutely dominant on both ends of the floor throughout this year’s postseason, and are tied with the Denver Nuggets for the best record during their run at 8-3.

Butler, individually, has also been electric during his 10 games played, as he’s boasting sensational averages of 31.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and just shy of a block while shooting 52.7% from the field and 36.1% from deep.

Despite the fact that the Celtics have the better odds of pulling out a series win, it’s the Heat star who believes that his club’s good fortunes of late will continue on and, in turn, lead them to this year’s NBA Finals.

Jaylen Brown Understands Heat Are ‘Different’

The 2023 conference finals mark the third time over the last four seasons that the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will be directly competing to represent the East in the NBA Finals.

However, despite their familiarity with one another, during a recent practice day interview, Jaylen Brown acknowledged that this iteration of the Heat is a bit different than the ones that they’ve played before.

“They got a different team in a sense that they got some injuries. Some guys are playing better than they were last year. It’s not the same team as last year. Jimmy is still Jimmy and [Erik Spoelstra] is still Spo so we gotta make sure that we’re aware of everybody else: Kevin Love, [Max] Strus, Duncan Robinson’s playing in this series. We just got to be alert,” Jaylen Brown said.

The Celtics star would continue on by acknowledging that Miami has been on a tremendous tear as of late, as “they beat a number one team, they beat a hungry New York Knicks team” and that it’s now up to them to “find a way to cool the Heat off.”

Al Horford Urging Celtics to Stay Focused

Coming into their upcoming series against the Miami Heat, Al Horford has been quite vocal about his team’s need to remain focused and hungry.

When recently speaking with Heavy on Sports’ NBA insider Steve Bulpett, the veteran big man acknowledged that while this Celtics team has quite a number of young talents and, thus, will likely remain competitive for years to come, opportunities to win a championship aren’t ever guaranteed.

“If you look at it, the reality is that even though a lot of younger guys think they have opportunities and will have more of them, these doors close,” Al Horford told Steve Bulpett. “You know what I’m saying?

“So when we’re in these positions, I think everybody is starting to understand that, you know, even though, ‘Oh, I’m young. I have time,’ and this and that, it’s not guaranteed that you’re going to be in these positions,” Horford said. “That’s something that I feel like we understand, and that’s why we’re trying to make the most of it.”

Bulpett would add that Horford’s sentiment has been strongly backed by Celtics teammate Blake Griffin, who, now in his 14 season in the association and his first in Boston, is also still seeking a championship.

Even though he now plays for the Chicago Bulls, it seems Alex Caruso still feels some type of way about his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, particularly when it comes to their infamous 2020 NBA Finals run and subsequent ring.

“Boston wins [Sunday] & it’s 2020 all over again,” Caruso tweeted on May 13. “‘BUT THE BUBBLE DIDN’T COUNT !’”

L.A. finds itself back in the Western Conference Finals after dispatching the reigning champion Golden State Warriors in six games. It’s the first time they have been back since making that controversial run after a three-month shutdown of the entire league — and country — amid the outbreak of COVID-19.

Caruso averaged 6.3 points, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds during the 2020 NBA Finals making his presence felt in other ways, just as he does now for the Bulls.

Perhaps Caruso is biased by his participation in winning that title.

Some argue it was a meaningless “Mickey Mouse ring”, the result of a sterile environment. And, perhaps, But, others, such as Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, say that the lack of fans and other distractions made for the “highest level” of NBA basketball.

As Caruso pointed out, three of the four teams that participated in the Conference Finals in 2020 have already secured their 2023 berths including Denver and the Miami Heat. The last is the Boston Celtics who will face the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 on May 14.

Granted, all of these teams have undergone significant changes since then. But the key figures from that original foursome are still in place.

Warriors’ Jamychal Green Ignored Alex Caruso’s Advice

The Lakers did battle against the Memphis Grizzlies in a series that also went six games to open the playoffs. During that series, soon-to-be-former Grizzlies swingman Dillons Brooks “poked” James with some comments about the latter’s age and perceived inability to score at a high enough level – 40 points – to warrant the former’s respect.

James put up a 20-point, 20-rebound effort in Game 4 of that series while the Lakers won the deciding Game 6 by 40 points.

Caruso offered advice for anyone else who wanted to follow in Brooks’ footsteps.

“Rule No. 1 in professional sports…elite players, you don’t give them bulletin board material, right,” Caruso said during ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on May 1. “They’re already going to get their numbers…He’s fully capable. And he’s one of the best ever, if not the best ever, and…you’re just trying to show him up. I’m not…’poking the bear’ because these guys, they don’t need the extra motivation. But you live and you learn, right? People have made mistakes before. Take your L and move on to the next one.”

Warriors forward JaMychal Green did not learn from Brooks’ mistake, questioning James’ assertion that his teams don’t flop for foul calls, a response to claims made by Golden State head coach Steve Kerr to that effect.

The Lakers shot twice as many free throws as the Warriors in the six-game showdown.

Green’s doubt seemingly drew a subliminal shot from James quoting lyrics from the song ‘Tuscan Leather’ by Drake in an Instagram post.

James is not shy about clapping back at his detractors and this postseason has been no different with the 20-year veteran letting the Grizzlies know their place in the hierarchy after they did plenty of talking this season.

Alex Caruso Achieves Career Milestone with Bulls

Caruso won’t be winning a title this season – the Bulls did not even make the playoffs. But he did achieve a career-first, notching his first selection to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for his efforts on the less glamorous end of the floor.

Caruso is the 14th Bulls player to earn a spot on one of the two All-Defensive teams and just the seventh to earn First Team honors, per Hispanosnba.

He is also the first Bull to earn a spot since current Heat star Jimmy Butler did it in 2015-16.

When Jimmy Butler sat at the dais alongside Kyle Lowry for the pair’s postgame media availability following the Miami Heat‘s series-clinching win over the New York Knicks on Friday, he looked much the same as he has throughout the postseason.

Strong.

Of course, his striking visage was aided in no small part by the fact that he elected to hit the presser without a shirt on his back. Instead, he flashed his musculature for the assembled media.

“I would take my shirt off but I don’t want to embarrass him,” Lowry joked about Butler’s shirtlessness, via ESPN.

After the two players shared a chuckle, Lowry then asked whether his teammate was truly going to proceed with the scrum sans shirt, to which Butler replied: “You
do have to deal with this.”

Responded Lowry: “I ain’t gonna lie, you could have at least waxed this right here (his chest).”

Despite Less-Than-Stellar Series Finish, Heat Star Jimmy Butler Is Having a Historic Postseason

In 41 minutes of action against the Knicks in the clincher, Butler scored 24 points and added eight rebounds and four assists (with zero turnovers). However, he hit on just seven of his 22 field-goal attempts and logged a completely neutral zero in the stat sheet’s plus/minus column.

Despite the backward step to close out Miami’s second-round series, though, Butler has been one of the playoffs’ best performers to date — and of all time, really.

Across his 10 appearances this postseason, Butler has averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.7 steals per contest. Meanwhile, he has connected on 52.7% of his field-goal attempts overall and 36.1% of his attempts from three-point range.

That line is on pace to make him one of just nine players in NBA history to have logged a line of 31-6-5-1.5 or better during a single playoff run. The others to have accomplished the feat: Michael Jordan (seven times), LeBron James (twice), Russell Westbrook, Tracy McGrady, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic.

And only three of those players did so while logging a true shooting percentage higher than Butler’s current mark of 61.8.

Despite that historic output, when Butler was asked by a reporter after Friday’s win what it was that set his team apart from typical No. 8 seeds, he didn’t call his own number. Instead, he shouted out his floor general.

“We got Kyle Lowry,” Butler said with a smile.

Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra Sounds Off on Team’s Eastern Conference Finals Berth

What the Heat have been able to do as an eighth seed — as well as a play-in team — has been eyebrow-raising to say the least. And the unlikelihood of it all isn’t lost on Miami’s play-caller, Erik Spoelstra, who took stock of the team’s advancement during his own session with the press corps.

“It is hard to win in this league. It’s hard to win in the playoffs and it is really freaking hard to get to the Eastern Conference Finals,” Spoelstra said, via Five Reasons Sports.

“We’ve had our normal big audacious goals for this season but when you get to one step
like this you just, you have great gratitude because there’s a lot of teams that would  love to be in this position and we’ve had to fight and claw to earn everything that we’ve gotten in this postseason.

“We don’t take this for granted.”

Make no mistake about it — the Miami Heat‘s trajectory as a franchise changed in an exponential way when team president Pat Riley was able to pluck Jimmy Butler from the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019.

As good as Butler has been on the hardwood throughout his tenure, though, his playoff exploits have been the stuff of legend. Over his last two years of postseason games entering Friday’s potential clincher against the New York Knicks (a sample size of 26 games), Butler had averaged 29.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.0 steals per contest while shooting 52.2% from the floor.

So, while Butler is adamant that “Playoff Jimmy” isn’t a thing, the statistics clearly state otherwise. And former Heat big man Markieff Morris is pushing back on Butler’s denial as well.

“Hell no! Playoff Jimmy,” Morris said during an appearance on Run Your Race of whether he was surprised by what Butler has done during the postseason. “He’s locked in. There’s a couple guys I’ve been in the playoffs [with], this would have been my
eighth straight season … You got guys that turn into different people in the
playoffs, like him and LeBron [James] stand out the most to me. It’s different.”

Ex-Heat Forward Markieff Morris Gets Real on the Concept of ‘Playoff Jimmy’

While fans and pundits alike have remarked on Butler’s ability to enter alpha mode during postseason play, Morris opined that it’s actually the Heat star’s ability to include his supporting cast and emphasize its strengths that truly sets him apart.

“Jimmy is so unselfish,” Morris said. “He hates the stamp of being one of those ‘superstar’ guys because he’s so much of a team player that when you put that stamp on guys, and [say] like, ‘Yo, he’s a superstar it’s his fault. He’s gotta take that last shot,’ He doesn’t play the game that way.

“His whole thing is like, ‘Don’t put that on me. I’m gonna play to win. I’m just a tough player.’”

Regardless of Butler’s thoughts on the matter, the results continue to speak for themselves. For his part, former Heat star Goran Dragic has experienced the “Playoff Jimmy” effect firsthand, both as one of the baller’s teammates during the Heat’s 2020 Finals run and, more recently, as an opponent when his Milwaukee Bucks were upset by Miami this season.

“You can’t stop him,” Dragic said of Butler, via the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. “He might have a bad shooting night but still produce at a high level. So I’ve played with him, I’ve seen it in person. Now I’m seeing it from a different angle.”

Warriors’ Draymond Green Has Another Theory About What Separates Butler From the Playoff Pack

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has his own ideas about why Butler is so dangerous in the playoffs. During a recent episode of his podcast, Green opined that Butler gets more out of each possession than other players in his position.

“I think one of the most underrated things in the playoffs that Jimmy Butler does is Jimmy Butler is going to make sure they get at least a decent look every possession,” Green said.

“If he has to hold the ball for 22 seconds and get it to someone with two seconds left on the shot clock, he’s going to make sure that they get a decent look. I think that’s one of Jimmy’s superpowers when it comes. Everybody’s always talking about ‘Playoff Jimmy’ and this and that. That is a huge part of it.”

The New York Knicks contained Miami Heat‘s star Jimmy Butler to his worst offensive showing in this year’s NBA Playoffs to force Game 6 in Miami.

But despite Butler’s 19-point showing in a 112-103 loss in Game 5, his confidence hasn’t wavered even after pressure shifted to their side to close out the Knicks in their final home game in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Butler has no plans on returning to New York for a Game 7 in front of the raucous Knicks crowd at Madison Square Garden.

“If Spo [Miami coach Erik Spoelstra] tells me to play 40 minutes, I will be suited and booted and ready to do that,” Butler told reporters after the Game 5 loss. “And we’ll win.”

Butler guaranteeing a Game 6 win is a warning to the Knicks that they come to South Beach better than they were in Game 5, or the series is over.

The Heat star’s confidence flows from the fact that they came within a couple of plays away from completing a 19-point comeback even when their shots were not falling in the middle quarters and they got outrebounded and outhustled.

“I think [the loss] started with they kind of took away our aggression because we kept fouling, and that’s on us,” Butler said. “It’s not really on them.”

“We just gotta better stand in front of the ball and not reaching as much contested shots—all the little things. We can easily correct that. We will correct that. We have to correct that if we want to win, but I know the group that we have, so we’re gonna be just fine,” he added.

Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes Break 51-Year Knicks Record

Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes became the first pair of Knicks players to play all 48 minutes in the regulation of a playoff game since Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Jerry Lucas against the Boston Celtics in 1972.

Together, Brunson and Grimes propelled the Knicks to victory with their stellar plays.

Brunson carried the Knicks’ offense on his back, outshining Butler in an elimination game. Brunson dropped a near triple-double (38 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists against a single turnover) in 48 minutes.

On the other hand, Grimes anchored the Knicks’ perimeter defense. With Josh Hart in foul trouble all game long and RJ Barrett picking up two quick fouls in the opening quarter, Grimes was forced to play also all 48 minutes. His defense against Butler has been stellar, limiting the Heat star to 5-of-12 shooting for his lowest output in his last 10 postseason games.

He saved his best for last with his game-sealing strip on Butler with 1:36 left on one good knee after getting banged up in a Bam Adebayo screen.

One-Eyed Knicks Star

After getting named to the All-NBA Third Team, Randle started on the wrong foot, going 1-of-7 in the opening quarter and getting a big bulge and scratch just below his right eye from an inadvertent elbow from a Heat player.

“It’s the price of war, I guess,” Randle told reporters after the game. “I got it in the first quarter. I couldn’t really see anything, but seeing the guys go out and compete the way they did energize me, and it started to feel a little bit better after that. So [I’m] just happy we got the win.”

Randle did not miss in the next three quarters to finish with 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting while adding five rebounds and five assists.

The 2023 NBA Playoffs have been a showcase for Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, who is second in postseason scoring, averaging 31.9 points a game.

The Heat currently hold a 3-2 series lead over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals after knocking out the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. Butler averaged over 37 points a game against Milwaukee, almost single-handedly pushing Miami to victory in the series.

While the Heat’s stellar defense will keep the team in most games, Butler has been Miami’s leading scorer, and not one member of the Heat is netting 20 points a game in the playoffs (center Bam Adebayo is scoring 17.6 points a game and Gabe Vincent is averaging 12 points). The one game Butler hasn’t played in the postseason, the Heat lost (Game 2 against the Knicks, 105-111) and at least one analyst is pushing for Miami to make a blockbuster addition this summer that could put them over the top.

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report selected one “dream trade target for every organization,” and for the Heat, Buckley chose Washington Wizards superstar Bradley Beal.

Bradley Beal to Heat Is an Idea That Keeps Getting Tossed Around

Considering how far Miami has come with its current roster, adding a player like Beal to the mix could take the team over the top. Adebayo and forward Tyler Herro both averaged more than 20 points a game during the regular season, but Herro has missed the bulk of the playoffs after breaking his hand. If Beal were to come aboard, Herro would likely be shipped off.

The idea of a Beal-Heat pairing isn’t a new one. Rumors circulated surrounding a possible Beal-to-Miami trade in 2022 and continued months later.  Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported in February 2023 that Miami attempting to add Beal this summer was possible and now, Buckley is adding fuel to the fire.

“Sending Bradley Beal to South Beach isn’t a novel idea, but that’s fine,” Buckley admitted in his May 10 column. “He has long loomed as a logical trade target and still looms as one today. Before the postseason tipped off—activating Jimmy Butler’s playoff mode and turning the shooters into flame-throwers—the Miami Heat were hurting for offense. During the regular season, they managed just 112.3 points per 100 possessions, the worst scoring rate among all postseason participants (play-in teams included). The Heat are hurting for both shot-creators and shot-makers, and Beal just happens to have his expertise in those fields.”

Recent Shakeups With Wizards Could Mean Beal Is Expendable

Beal averaged 30.9 points a game over the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons, and his scoring has gone down a bit in recent years. The 6-foot-4, 207-pound shooting guard scored 23.2 points a game in each of the last two seasons, and he turns 30 this summer, making him an older and slightly more risky investment than the 23-year-old Herro.

Still, if Miami wanted to see what it could get for Herro on the trade block while adding Beal, this summer may be the time to do it.

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis recently parted ways with former general manager Tommy Sheppard in April 2023, and at least one insider covering the Wizards thinks Beal may be on his way out the door.

“I gotta think one of the first thing that they’re gonna do is get rid of Bradley Beal,” Thom Loverro of The Washington Times told Team 980 AM on April 20. “I think that’s No. 1 on the agenda of the new general manager because this isn’t working. It’s not gonna work. He hasn’t been able to stay on the court these last two seasons. He’s the highest paid player in the history of Washington D.C. And he’s not your foundation. He’s a piece. You can’t spend that much money on a piece.”

Beal is certainly pricey. He has four years remaining on his five-year, $251-million deal and is due over $46.7 million next season alone (contract numbers via Spotrac). Herro will cost $27 million in 2023-24, so Miami might be better off letting the Beal rumors die off.

As the New York Knicks stumbled to a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Miami Heat on May 6, it was clear that their offense was lacking a sparkplug off the bench.

Shooting just 34.1% as a unit from the field and a mind-numbing 20% from the field, the Knicks’ inability to convert their shooting opportunities allowed the Heat to earn a 105-86 victory, giving them a slight edge in their second-round playoff series.

However, Chicago Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic wasn’t impressed by New York’s rotations and took to Twitter to remind Tom Thibodeau and his coaching staff that they have a genuine scoring threat sitting on their bench but not getting any playing time.

“Knicks need some shooting to help their offense…they do have a guy sitting on the bench that can do that,” Vucevic tweeted.

There is no telling whether Vucevic was referring to Evan Fournier or Derrick Rose, yet an argument could be made that either of those two could have provided an offensive punch for a Knicks team that looked stagnant from the opening tip.

Tom Thibodeau Sounds Off on Knicks Offense

When addressing the media following New York’s mauling by Miami, head coach Tom Thibodeau discussed his team’s struggles on the offensive end, noting how the entire team is to blame for their poor execution.

“I thought defensively; we were solid. But I thought offensively; we didn’t play the way we wanted to,” Thibodeau said. “And I don’t put it on any one player because I think it’s done collectively. And if we have three guys in the right spot and one guy not, the whole unit suffers. So everybody has gotta do their job, they gotta understand what their job is, and you gotta do your job.”

If New York wants to even up their series against Miami, they will need to make some offensive adjustments, which could mean that either Fournier or Rose will get some minutes in game four.

Jimmy Butler Praises Julius Randle

He might have struggled to make an impact on May 6, but it would appear that Heat star Jimmy Butler has been impressed with what he has seen from Julius Randle throughout the series thus far.

As when Butler spoke to the media on May 6, he credited the All-Star forward as being a genuine all-around player, noting how difficult of a task it is to guard him, regardless of the defenders you have on your team.

“Julius is a tough cover for anybody,” Butler said. “Bam, myself, Caleb, Gabe, Kyle, because he’s constantly in attack mode, and he does everything so well on the basketball floor. He’s like the true definition of an all-around player.”