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Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin led the way for the Miami Heat in their Game 2 win over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals on Friday. Martin played a huge part in the Heat's comeback victory, with Butler seemingly predicting Martin's importance earlier in the season.
After the Heat's 119-98 win against the Portland Trail Blazers in Oct. 26, Butler had nothing but praise for Martin. The six-time All-Star explained how important the undrafted swingman is important to the Heat's season.
"That's the winning formula," Butler said. "Get the ball to Caleb, and get out the way. ... As long as Caleb is playing well, we got a great chance of winning. Caleb for president."
Jimmy Butler turned out to be right, as Caleb Martin has played a huge role for the Miami Heat during their postseason run. Martin is averaging 12.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in the playoffs, shooting 55.2% from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc.
Martin has been better in the Eastern Conference finals, contributing 15 points, four rebounds and three assists in Game 1. He followed that up with 25 points and four rebounds in Game 2. The Heat are now up 2-0 against the Boston Celtics and just two wins away from the NBA Finals.
It has been an unbelievable run for the Heat, in large part due to Butler. He's having a postseason for the ages, averaging 31.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game. However, Miami's role players also have to continue being great to continue their path to the championship.
Caleb Martin's basketball career
Caleb Martin was a high school star for the famed Oak Hill Academy with his twin brother, Cody Martin. They started their collegiate careers at North Carolina State, staying with the Wolfpack for two seasons. The twins transferred to Nevada to finish the final two years of their NCAA careers.
Cody was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets, while Caleb went undrafted. Caleb went on to join his brother with the Hornets, playing together for two seasons before entering free agency in 2021.
Caleb signed a two-way deal with the Miami Heat, slowly carving out a place in Erik Spoelstra's rotation. His contract was converted into a standard one midway through last season before the Heat rewarded him with a three-year, $20 million deal in the offseason.
The 27-year-old has improved every season, gaining a lot of opportunities this year due to a lot of injuries. He went on to play 71 games this season, starting 49 of them and averaging 9.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
Guess the Lakers players!
