'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Jimmy Butler played his best game of the 2022 NBA playoffs on Tuesday. He helped the Miami Heat secure a 118-107 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The game is a reminder to all the doubters that there’s a reason why the 32-year-old forward is called “Buckets” by many.
For a while, it looked like the Celtics' emerging superstar Jayson Tatum would run away with the scoring duel after he dropped 21 first-half points. However, Butler would have none of that as he erupted for 41 points on a sizzling 12-19 effort from the field.
Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade, who was dazzled by Butler’s display, excitedly tweeted about the performance right after the game ended:
“My brother is playing beautiful basketball! It’s a joy to watch.”
The Boston Celtics continued their great form right off the gate in Game 1 against the Miami Heat. They held a 13-point lead in the first 24 minutes of the game before settling for a 62-54 edge at halftime.
Like he’s done for the entire season when healthy, Jimmy Butler was once again at the helm of Miami’s huge turnaround. The Heat outscored the Celtics 39-14 in the third quarter, which all but ended the game.
A crippling 22-2 run in the first half of the third quarter had Boston reeling and desperately grasping for the proverbial rope.
If this is what the Heat can get from Butler, they might just prove most basketball analysts who predicted that Boston would win the series wrong.
Jimmy Butler’s two-way dominance was electric
“Jimmy G. Buckets” had eye-popping scoring numbers. A big part of his 41-point output was his impressive 17-18 free-throw shots made. He was ruthlessly efficient and precise on offense.
Defense, though, was a key component of Jimmy Butler’s jaw-dropping Game 1. The 2020-21 steals champ was all over the floor, disrupting play and guarding Jayson Tatum after PJ Tucker briefly went off with an injury.
Butler’s four steals and three blocks were timely and had the kind of impact that deflates opponents. Together with Bam Adebayo, he stonewalled the Boston Celtics’ repeated attempts to score in the interior in the third quarter.
The improved defensive stance in the third canto was crucial as the Celtics got almost whatever they wanted in the paint in the first half.
When Jimmy Butler is at his best on both ends of the floor, few superstars in the NBA can match his brilliance and intensity.
Dwyane Wade described it as “beautiful,” but he could have also called it electrifying, jaw-dropping and mesmerizing.
Guess the Lakers players!
