11/12/2023 0 Comments Jimmy butler stats in playoffs 2022![]() Horford is the best defender the Celtics have when it comes to contesting shots like the one Butler was about to attempt. "It seemed like he was going to go for the shot, but I had to make sure that I stayed solid and when he pulled up for the 3, I was like, let me contest the best way that I can. "I didn't know what he was going to do," said Horford, who was playing with a heavy heart after the death of his maternal grandfather earlier in the week. He got out in front of Butler and "loaded" - jargon for setting himself to defend against a player on a drive - with Horford between the Heat star and the basket. But if there was one player they could have picked to be in front of a streaking Butler in that moment, it was Al Horford. The Celtics were on the verge of a devastating defeat, blowing a vital series in one of the worst ways imaginable. And that is the man who came out to stop Butler. This is where the other side of the storyline comes in. A few moments later, the Celtics polished off the 100-96 victory to earn their first trip to the NBA Finals in 12 years with a series against the Golden State Warriors. So I'm living with it."īutler isn't a man of regrets, but the miss will sting. "My thought process was, 'Go for the win,' which I did," said Butler, who backed up his 47 points in Game 6 with 35 in Game 7. Instead, with himself and his team tired and hurting, Butler went for the haymaker. And Butler is one of the league's best finishers around the rim, his strength and dexterity perfect for scoring in traffic. ![]() He had momentum and space, having started his own fast break after grabbing a rebound. One perfect swing at the right moment could knock out the favorite.īutler could've driven the ball to the rim and gone for the tie. The Heat had a puncher's chance, an underdog with nothing to lose who can take a wild risk. Had Butler's 3-pointer dropped with 15 seconds to play, the Heat would have taken a one-point lead - their first of the game. Seven times the Celtics had built their lead to double figures, and seven times the Heat clawed back. Looking at the past two weeks fairly, this was a tied series only because of the Heat's mix of guile, timing and anti-inflammatories. The storyline Spoelstra was dreaming about? The Heat - battered, bruised and frankly undermanned in a physical series - had pulled a magic act to even get to Sunday's contest. Maybe it was fatigue, maybe it was the lingering soreness in his knee, maybe it was the pressure, but the ball ended up hitting the front of the rim. But Butler had played 47 minutes, 45 seconds of a 48-minute game, two days after he played for 47 minutes in Boston. "Not again," thought Marcus Smart, who watched Butler nail a clutch shot over him at the end of Game 6.īutler posed as the ball approached the rim the nearby Heat bench coiled for a collective leap. "Oh," Celtics coach Ime Udoka said, "he's been making big shots all series." "I was like, man, what the hell," Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said. "I thought it would have been an incredible storyline for Jimmy to pull up and hit that 3." "I thought for sure it was going down," Spoelstra said. The emotions swelled in the Miami Heat coach's chest as he instinctively kicked out his legs in the final moments of Sunday's Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals inside FTX Arena. MIAMI - Erik Spoelstra's eyes traced the shot as it left Jimmy Butler's hands. NBA playoffs 2022: Jimmy Butler, Al Horford and the tense final seconds of Game 7 between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat Brown fouled out himself on a charge offensive that was assessed after a challenge on a missed dunk with 13 seconds left and the Celtics down by four.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser Jaylen Brown scored 20 points for Boston, missing a pair of free throws with the game tied at 99 after Lowry fouled out. We know how much this means to everybody.'' ''It's no secret: It's Game 7, trip to the NBA Finals, a lot on the line,'' Tatum said. The Celtics are trying to reach the finals for the first time since 2010, two years after the New Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen won the franchise's 17th NBA title - a record since tied by the Lakers. Jayson Tatum had 30 points and nine rebounds for Boston, and White came off the bench to score 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. We knew it was coming, and we've got to do a better job in Game 7.'' ''That's just who he's been his whole career, constantly attacking and doing what he does to help his team win. ''He came out from the jump and kind of put his imprint on the game,'' White said. Butler made 16 of 29 shots - including 4 of 8 from 3-point range - and all 11 free throws. Lowry finished with 18 points and 10 assists before fouling out with 2:18 left.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |