Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat will be kicking themselves after missing out on making the 2022 NBA Finals. They are at a Game 7 in Miami, but the Boston Celtics’ strong start to the game meant that they would hold on to the win till the end. The Heat made plenty of runs through the game but just couldn’t match up with Boston.
By the end of the game, the Heat had cut the game down to a two-point affair and had the ball with the clock running down. Instead of taking a timeout or running the clock down, Butler ran to the top of the key and shot an open three that he missed.
That missed three has eliminated the Heat, as Butler still could have driven into the paint and tied the game up and forced OT. Despite that, Butler is happy with the shot that he took as his teammates and coaches have all agreed on that being one of the best shot opportunities at that moment.
Jimmy Butler on his last shot: “My thought process was go for the win…my teammates like the shot that I took so I’m living with it.”
(via @NickFriedell) pic.twitter.com/kRlOAfobA3
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 30, 2022
Jimmy Butler did everything for the Heat this game. Without his performances, the Heat don’t even stand a chance in this game or series. His teammates have gone through an incredibly rough offensive stretch and Butler was the only one consistently getting through the Boston defense and scoring.
While that may not have been the best possible shot, it was still a good one. Butler was wide open and if he made that shot, he would have been instantly deified for making one of the most clutch shots in NBA history.
Butler is the leader of the team, so he will gladly take the accountability for losing this series. But we shouldn’t forget everything he did to keep them competitive through this Game 7 and through the 2022 NBA playoffs.
