NEW YORK – Jimmy Butler was visibly the most thrilled player on Friday night, having led a fourth-quarter fightback as the Miami Heat stunned the Boston Celtics 111-105 to take a 2-0 lead in their National Basketball Association (NBA) Eastern Conference Finals series.
The Miami talisman finished with 27 points as the eighth seeds grabbed a second straight victory at Boston’s TD Garden to leave the Celtics with a mountain to climb if they are to reach the NBA Finals again.
The Heat had trailed by 12 points early in the fourth quarter and Boston led by as much as nine with under seven minutes of the final frame remaining.
But Butler then led a sensational 20-9 Miami run in the final minutes that turned the game on its head and left his team just two wins away from returning to the NBA Finals as the best-of-seven series heads to Miami for Games 3 and 4.
“We got some dogs, and I love it, I love every bit of it,” an elated Butler said during an on-court interview after the win.
“Guys never quit, guys never give up, we love playing with one another – we got so much faith and trust in one another.”
Nine of his 27 points came during the fourth-quarter rally, with the Miami star forward seemingly fired up after an angry nose-to-nose exchange with Boston’s Grant Williams midway through the period.
At that stage in the game, Boston led 96-89, but Miami launched a devastating late run that turned the contest decisively in favour of the Heat.
Butler later admitted that Williams’ apparent taunts had fuelled his inspired late contribution.
“Yes, it did,” he replied, when asked if he had been motivated by Williams’ trash talk.
“But that’s just competition at its finest. He hit a big shot... started talking to me – I like that. I’m all for that. It makes me key in a lot more. It pushes that will that I have to win a lot more.
“It makes me smile. It does. But it’s just competition. I do respect him, though. He’s a big part of what they try to do. I just don’t know if I’m the best person to talk to.”
Butler received offensive support from Caleb Martin, with 25 points off the bench, while Bam Adebayo delivered another all-round effort with 22 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists.
Duncan Robinson added 15 points from the bench, including three three-pointers.
A shell-shocked Boston, meanwhile, were left reflecting on another shattering home defeat, despite 34 points from Jayson Tatum.
Jaylen Brown finished with 16 points but had a wayward shooting night, making only seven of 23 from the field, while Robert Williams III and Malcolm Brogdon had 13 points apiece.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla blamed indiscipline and mental frailty for his team’s defeat.
“It comes down to the details and the margins,” he said.
“This is a series of discipline and mindset. And there were times throughout the game where we weren’t the more disciplined team.”
Asked if he believed Boston’s late collapse was “mental”, he agreed.
“It’s mental from the standpoint of who can make the right plays at the right times, who can make the simple plays, who can win those details and those margins,” Mazzulla said. “So, yeah, it’s definitely mental.”
Tatum insisted that all was not lost despite Boston dropping the opening two games of the series on their home court.
“It’s tough. It’s a challenge. No point in being up here sad, right. They came in and won two games,” he said.
“They played well, you give them credit. But we’re not dead or anything. I still have the utmost confidence, everybody has the utmost confidence.”
Game 3 takes place in Miami on Sunday. AFP, REUTERS
