Shortly after the Golden State Warriors took down the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, forward Draymond Green had a rather confident proclamation about the Warriors’ potential next opponent.
He adamantly stated, “We’re gonna play Boston,” after being prodded by Shaquille O’Neal. This all happened before the Miami Heat suited up for Game 6 against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Green clearly spoke too soon as the Heat stole Game 6 from the Celtics at TD Garden behind a playoff career-high 47 points from Jimmy Butler on Friday night.
Afterward, veteran Udonis Haslem had a succinct message for Green.
Clearly, the motivation from Green was more than enough to put them over the top.
Butler finished the game with his 47 points to go along with nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals to help the Heat overcome the Celtics 110-103, narrowly edging them in the fourth quarter.
Kyle Lowry also came up big for Miami. The starting point guard had been questionable with a hamstring strain, but was big for his team, as he finished his night with a crucial 18 points and 10 assists.
The series is now the Heat’s to lose as it shifts back to Miami with everything knotted up at 3-3. Game 7 will start at 8:30 p.m. EST at FTX arena.