Jimmy Butler’s guarantee backfires in Celtics’ Game 3 rout of Heat originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Jimmy Butler is very confident in the Miami Heat. On Saturday night, his confidence was misplaced.
Early in Game 3 of Miami’s first-round NBA playoff matchup with the Boston Celtics at Kaseya Center, TNT’s Chris Haynes asked Butler — who is currently sidelined with a knee injury — about the confidence he has in his team after the Heat stole Game 2 at TD Garden to even the series at 1-1.
Butler responded with a bold statement and a take that didn’t age well.
“I think we believe; it’s everybody else that don’t,” Butler told Haynes. “If I gotta hear one more praise about Boston on national TV when we win a game — I’m tired of hearing that, man.
“It’s 1-1, we (about to) go up 2-1.”
Butler’s confidence didn’t rub off on his teammates, who shot just 41.6 percent from the floor and 32.1 percent from 3-point range (9 for 28) while committing 12 turnovers in a 104-84 home loss to Boston.
At the very least, Butler is consistent; he trolled the Celtics on social media after Miami’s Game 2 win at TD Garden by mocking Jaylen Brown’s “Don’t let us get one” quote from when the C’s trailed 3-0 in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, and he’ll likely continue to be vocal in his support of the team until the Heat are eliminated.
With Butler and guard Terry Rozier both out due to injury, it’s hard to imagine Miami mounting a comeback. The Heat needed a historic shooting night to defeat the Celtics in Game 2 and averaged an abysmal 89 points in the other two games, both losses.
The C’s and Heat are back in action Monday night at Kaseya Center for Game 4. NBC Sports Boston’s Mike Gorman and Brian Scalabrine will be on the call for 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off, with Celtics Pregame Live beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Source Agencies
