He who kills Jimmy Butler, dies Jimmy Butler. is the summary phrase for the opening of the Eastern Conference finals. Many gave (we gave) and continue (we continue) giving the Celtics as favorites on their own merits. For resisting until exhaustion a masterful, epic, epic series against some Bucks that without Krhis Middleton go home to think about the near future, in which his candidacy will continue to be a fact as long as Giannis Antetokounmpo continues with his desire to fight against the history. For destroying a sprawling, decontextualized and oversized team like the Nets in four games, all even but all for the greens. For being the best team of 2022, the best defense in the NBA, the most dominant and insultingly good team of the last five months. For having a generational star (Jayson Tatum) a coach who has shown us a lot and a sublime desire to win. For all that and much more.
But what no one knew, or what we all knew but wanted to ignore, is that they have the Heat up front. A team with a huge winning culture to arrive in the 1989 expansion and being a young franchise that in just over 30 years has achieved three rings and six Finals. They have reached the Conference final five more times, two of them in the last three seasons, one in the bubble (with victory) and another this year (with we’ll see what). In 2020 they precisely beat the Celtics in the Eastern finals, with no field advantage for anyone due to the bubble used by the NBA to avoid the global coronavirus pandemic and with an imperial Jimmý Butler. A common denominator that has been repeated this year, in which it is above good and evil. Holding a culture, which is Pat Riley’s, Erik Spoelstra’s, Udonis Haslem’s. But it is also that of a man who takes his traditions with him wherever he goes. That he wants to win everything. Get the dream of the coveted ring. One that has, right now, 7 wins away. We will see.
Nobody has been able to with Butler, who has been the man who has supported the Heat in a first half in which Boston threatened to break the game, and the one who has led the comeback in a spectacular second half. In the end, 41 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 3 blocks and only 2 turnovers, a +25 with him on the court and a spectacular honor, inherent to his person. Butler led a 22-2 run early in the third quarter that moved Ime Udoka and his possible solutions. And Spoelstra adjusted so that the Heat entrenched themselves in the area, where they received 42 points in the first half, and left their rivals shivering, forcing them to shoot from outside and the revolution, unfinished this time. The 39-14 in the third period gave the Heat wings: from 54-62, the result went to 91-76. And then good management with a lot of skill against some rivals who, by the way, never left the match, and managed to get to 7 with a triple by Payton Pritchard (18 points) with just under 90 seconds to go (114-107 ).
Tatum faded while Butler grew to the stars that shine in the sky. The Celtics star, spectacular almost every time in the playoffs, scored 21 points in the first half, but only 8 in the second. The 9 of 14 shots in the first half was 1 of 7 in the second, also losing the individual duel with a Butler who in these playoffs has more steals than losses. Brown took over (24 points in total, 17 in the second half), but did not distribute any assistance in the last 24 minutes and was also unable to react in defense to the always alternative game of a Spoelstra that reduced the rotation to 8 players and left sitting , once again, Duncan Robinson, reviled in the system of a coach who likes, for whatever reason, that his players defend. Robert Williams started well (8 points in the first period, 12 at halftime), but also sank in the second half and ended with discomfort, we’ll see to what extent. His presence became more essential in the absence of Al Horford, in the health and safety protocols of the League, and in a variable that has helped the Heat today, which is not having Marcus Smart in front (very physically affected after the series against the Bucks. The two will return during the series, but with a tradition so tied to home court advantage in the Eastern Conferencethey better react soon and not go with a very dangerous 2-0 to the Garden.
