Jimmy Butler's final shot of Game 7 will surely be a talking point amongst NBA fans. The Miami Heat were mounting a massive comeback in the waning moments of the game. Max Strus broke his ice-cold streak and took the once-double-digit Celtic lead to 2 points. They had the Cs exactly where they wanted them.
And then, Butler's final shot happened. With around 20 seconds left on the clock, Jimmy Butler took a transition three-pointer that came up just short. With no Heat player in the vicinity, the Celtics took control of the rebound, and eventually won the game. It seemed like an uncharacteristic mistake from one of the most clutch players in the league. (via ClutchPoints)
Jimmy Butler ALMOST gave Miami the lead here 😱pic.twitter.com/biMO0BTo36
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 30, 2022
Except, well, it wasn't a mistake. It was a calculated risk from the player that single-handedly brought the Heat to this position.
You have to remember, up to that point, Butler hasn't sat for the entire course of the game. The Heat star was on the court for the full 48 minutes of play. Getting two points on that fast break attempt would've meant overtime for that game. Butler likely knew that they didn't have a great chance at overtime, so he decided to try and end the game with a three-ball.
As for the idea that Butler should've drove to the basket, well, we just need to look at the footage. Al Horford was sitting on the Heat star's drive. It wasn't like the three-point shot was a contested shot, either: Butler had plenty of room to rise up and shoot the three. All things considered, it was definitely a good shot to take.
The Heat had the Celtics on the ropes at that point of the game. Boston couldn't buy a bucket to save their lives. Quite frankly, they looked absolutely spooked during the last three minutes of the game. Had Butler made that three-point shot, the Celtics' psyche would've been rattled, their will to win shaken. It would've been the dagger to end all daggers. Unfortunately, Butler's exhaustion caught up to him in the worst way possible.
Blaming Butler for the Heat loss is plain wrong
Butler's decision to shoot the three will undoubtedly upset many Heat fans. I'm sure there are fans are calling for Jimmy's head, saying that he's the reason they lost the series.
The notion that Butler is the reason for the Heat's loss is just flat-out wrong. Saying that completely ignores the heroics that had to do in order to get this series to seven games.
Just a few days ago, fans were already writing off the Heat. It was hard not to, especially after their humiliating Game 5 loss at home. From Draymond Green to the casual NBA fan, everyone was already expecting the Celtics to face the Warriors in the Finals.
But in Game 6, with their backs against the wall in front of a roaring Celtics crowd, Butler willed his team to a victory. In a game where Bam Adebayo was non-existent and the Heat's shooters were misfiring, Jimmy Buckets put the team on his shoulders. His 47 points somehow undersold just how magnificent he was for the team.
Game 7 was also shaping up to be another Butler masterpiece. Once again, Jimmy's supporting cast (aside from Adebayo) struggled to put points on the board. So what did Butler do? Well, the Heat star put up 35 points and sprinkled in his stellar defense. If the Heat won this series, we'd be hailing Butler as the savior of Miami.
Don't let that one blemish on Game 7 distract you from the truth. The Heat didn't lose because of Jimmy Butler. In fact, Butler is the reason this team was able to make it this far into the series.
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