Jimmy Butler was at his blistering best in the first three games against Boston but since he mockingly called a timeout, things have gone from bad to worse.
Miami fans were on top of the world when in Game 3 Jimmy imitated Al Horford’s timeout gesture from Game 1.
Jimmy Butler calls a timeout for the Celtics. 😂😂😂
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 22, 2023
The Heat were up by 23 points in the third quarter and went on to win 128-102 but that was the last time we saw Himmy.
Miami looked set to steamroll Boston but have lost all of their games since and the ECF Champions will now be decided in Game 7.
The C’s also have a chance to become the first team in NBA history to win a playoff series after being down 0-3.
Jimmy’s performances also took a major dive since Game 3.
In games four, five and six his PPG AVG was 22.3 on 36.5 percent shooting from the field and 30 percent shooting from three-point range. He shot just 5-21 from the field in Game 6 and only shot the ball ten times in Game 5.
He averaged 26 points on 49 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent shooting from three throughout the first three contests.
In Game 6, Butler looked intimated by the Celtics and looked to get the ball out of his hands as quickly as possible.
“So much for my thinking Miami would get this done,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith tweeted. I have never seen Jimmy Butler this off or outplayed — now not even trying to score. And Bam looks scared to go after Horford or Williams.”
It was only in the last 30 seconds of the game where he came to life and shot some crucial free throws to tie the game but it wasn’t enough and Boston won by a single point thanks to a Derrick White miracle.
After Game 6, Butler acknowledged his own deficiencies and vowed to improve, while guaranteeing a win.
“I told the guys in the locker room that if I play better, we’re not even in this position,” Butler said. “And I will be better.
“When we huddle up after the game, after a tough loss like this one, everybody is smiling because we know we’re very capable of [winning], I’m telling you, and we are not going to let up. I’m not going to let anybody quit. I’m not going to let our guys quit. I don’t give a damn what happens. We’re going to go in there and we’re going to win.”
Game 7 of the Boston-Celtics series will take place on Monday, May 29 at 8:30PM ET at TD Garden.