The Miami Heat sent shockwaves across the NBA universe as they stunned the Boston Celtics on the road to win Game 6 and stave off elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals. Jimmy Butler, in particular, was magnificent as he dropped a playoff career-high 47 points to help them win 111-103.
Hardly anyone had picked the Heat to bounce back after losing Games 4 & 5 in the manner that they did, but they showed great resolve to extend this series to a Game 7. One of the many who had the Celtics winning here was ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith. Smith was in attendance for the game, and he was left shocked by what he witnessed on the court:
I’m not gonna lie, I’m stunned. But still picking the Celtics. pic.twitter.com/vpQYUTyTjy
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) May 28, 2022
“I’m not gonna lie, I’m standing here on the court of TD Bank Garden completely shellshocked. I know Jimmy Butler is a star but I didn’t expect him to resemble a superstar tonight. I expected that to come from somebody like a Jayson Tatum but Jimmy Butler was a star amongst stars and he played big time and that was that. But I’ll tell you something, the reason I predicted that Boston would win this game tonight is because the Miami Heat resembled an infirmary. I can’t believe how healthy they looked compared to how unhealthy they looked after Game 5.”
“Ultimately I go back to my original prediction, Boston will still win in 7 games but I ain’t gonna lie to you. Miami has done made me a liar twice already in this series. A third time might be a charm who the hell knows but I’m still going with Boston in 7.”
It is truly a remarkable turnaround, especially after how lifeless the Heat looked after Game 5. Butler had just scored just 13 points in the game, which meant he had only managed to put in 27 points in total from Games 3 to 5.
Their starting backcourt was horrendous as well in Games 4 & 5, as Kyle Lowry and Max Strus had combined for just 1 field goal in those games. Everything pointed towards a Celtics victory, but the Heat managed to dig deep and get this win. We all now await what will hopefully be an unforgettable Game 7.
