Jimmy Butler came tantalizingly close to making his second NBA Finals in three years after his Miami Heat fought back in Game 7 from being 20 points down to being one three-pointer away from a Conference Finals series win. Butler shot an open three from just outside the arc with little time left on the clock but would miss the basket.
That miss eliminated the Miami Heat from the playoffs with many wondering why Butler took that shot. There were still 10 seconds left and the Heat could have gotten a better shot. Jimmy was open when he took his shot, but he isn’t necessarily known as a three-point sniper and couldn’t make it.
While the media has criticized Butler for missing that shot, his teammates have been standing up for him. The most important voice in the locker room has spoken out in Butler’s favor, as Udonis Haslem shared his thoughts on the series-ending shot:
Haslem on Jimmy's shot: "I thought it was going in. I thought it was a great shot. I'm living with that. That's what great players do, they go for the kill, they go for the win."
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) May 31, 2022
Jimmy had previously said that his teammates encouraged him to take the shot that he did, and as Haslem said, that is what great players do. Butler has taken pride in leading this Heat team all-season long, so if there is anyone that should be taking a shot with the series on the line, it is him.
Considering how the Heat played through the series, it may be for the best that they lost. Their squad was racked with injuries and issues on the court that couldn’t be fixed with mid-game adjustments. Their talent is incredible and they are better off healing up, tweaking the roster, and making another run next year.
Whether Udonis Haslem will join them for another ride will be another question, as the locker room veteran is running out of miles in his NBA career. The Heat will need his presence in the locker room to keep them going through the rough patches.
