The Miami Heat kept their feet on the gas and had yet another memorable outing, this time upsetting the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden for a huge statement win on the road.
Jimmy Butler was once again at his best, making franchise history by becoming the first Heat player to record at least 35 points and six steals in a playoff game.
Jimmy Butler is the FIRST player in Heat history with 35 points and 6 steals in a playoff game ♨️ pic.twitter.com/hzya9I2Du7
— ESPN (@espn) May 18, 2023
Butler was once again the best player on the floor on both ends of the floor, and he keeps making an argument for being the best playoff performer in the league right now, even ahead of Nikola Jokic with his 30+ point triple-doubles.
He’s the ultimate playoff riser, a guy that has proven to be built for the big moment and that won’t hesitate or bat an eye when the lights are the brightest, especially on the road.
The Heat came out of the locker room on fire and pulled away in the second half.
And while Joe Mazzulla made some minor tweaks to get his team back late into the game, the damage was already done.
The Celtics have several elite defenders they could put on Butler, who’s not the most versatile scorer in the league, yet it seems like there’s no counter for him when he enters the zone in the postseason.
As for the defensive stats, that shouldn’t come as a surprise at all, as he’s one of the few active players with more career steals than career fouls, so he might have another couple of games like this in this series.
NEXT: Jimmy Butler Has A Strong Message After Game 1 Win
