Watch - Jimmy Butler hits a dagger 3 as the shot clock expires
Jimmy Butler was in his element during the second half of Game 1 of the Miami Heat's Eastern Conference finals contest against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. Butler helped the Heat overturn a nine-point half-time deficit into an 11-point lead entering the fourth quarter.
He hit a dagger 3-pointer with 1:02 left in the game, putting the game well out of the Celtics' reach and giving Miami a 10-point lead.
Here's a clip of that possession:
JIMMY BUTLER CLUTCH! 🔥
https://t.co/L27vybh2JG
Butler continued his sensational playoffs form, tallying 35 points, five rebounds, seven assists and six steals, shooting on 48/40/100 splits. The Heat took Game 1 123-116 behind Butler's stellar outing.
Unlike last season, the Heat don't have homecourt advantage this series, making it crucial for them to take at least one game on the road against the Celtics. Erik Spoelstra's men have done just that in Game 1, giving them plenty of momentum moving forward.
Miami will have a golden opportunity to take a 3-1 series lead even if they drop Game 2 in Boston with Games 3 and 4 being played in their building. The Heat opened the series as the underdogs by a significant margin, but the odds will likely shorten following that performance.
HEAT STEAL GAME 1! 🤯🔥
Butler: 35 PTS, 5 REB, 7 AST, 6 STL
Adebayo: 20 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST
Tatum: 30 PTS, 7 REB https://t.co/fXlWwbKOW2
Jimmy Butler is the undisputed MVP of the 2023 playoffs
Jimmy Butler went from arguably the best player in the 2023 playoffs to undisputedly the best player in the 2023 playoffs. The Miami Heat were given little to no chance to succeed this postseason. They qualified as the eighth seed after losing their first play-in tournament game to the Atlanta Hawks.
However, Butler's heroics propelled them to beat the No. 1 seeded Milwaukee Bucks, arguably the deepest roster in the league, in just five games. Butler put in all-time efforts, tallying a 56-point outing in Game 4 and 42 points in Game 5 to seal the series win.
He carried on that form into the conference semis against the Knicks, helping the Heat beat them in six games. Miami is now up 1-0 over the championship favorites, Boston Celtics, after taking Game 1 on the road.
Jimmy Butler continues to prove critics wrong about the Miami Heat every series. Despite the adversities they faced as an away team with key players like Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo out injured, the Heat has ground out every win thus far to reach where they are right now.
Erik Spoelstra has been spot-on with his coaching, but it wouldn't mean much if he didn't have a superstar like Butler executing those plans perfectly.