Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler did everything in his power to get his team past the Boston Celtics in the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.
With the Heat facing elimination in Game 6 of the series, Butler went for 47 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. His performance was enough for Miami to stretch the series to a seventh game.
In Game 7, the veteran put together another massive effort, as he dropped 35 points and nine rebounds.
Unfortunately, as Heat fans know, Butler missed the biggest shot of the night. With under 20 seconds remaining and the Heat down by two, Butler opted to pull up for a 3-pointer that would have given Miami the lead.
The shot missed, and the Celtics ultimately won the game.
Jimmy Butler went for the win. pic.twitter.com/7fjYjg9wkC
— ESPN (@espn) May 30, 2022
There has been a lot of talk about whether or not Butler made the right decision to attempt the triple. In the eyes of Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green, it was not the right call.
“I personally think that shot shouldn’t have been taken,” Green said. “And the reason I thought that it was a bad shot was because that shot right there, that was it. That was like — the shot simply said, ‘We’re either winning this, or we’re going home.’ And once the shot was missed, it just felt like somebody took a little staple or a little safety pin and just poked right at the balloon, and the air just left out of the building once that shot was missed, as opposed to Jimmy Butler, who we know is absolutely amazing at getting to the rim and even better at getting to the rim and getting fouled.
“And so you have a backpedaling Al Horford with a ton of space with your shooters running to fill it in, and you’re sitting at 35 points. You’re at home, crowd’s into it. If Jimmy Butler drives that basketball and scores or if Jimmy even drives, the likelihood of you getting a foul call — and you’re on your home court, and Jimmy’s great at getting fouled — is significantly higher. And so, if Jimmy drives that basketball and he scores, or he gets fouled, and the game is tied, all of the pressure then turns to the Boston Celtics.”
Green certainly raises some fair points, but there’s also an argument to be made for the shot that Butler took. It was a quality look, and given the fact that the Heat star didn’t sit for a second in Game 7, he likely wouldn’t have had much left in the tank had the game gone to overtime.
The loss was a tough way for Miami’s season to end, but the team definitely accomplished a lot in the 2021-22 campaign. It figures to be a key offseason for the Heat as they look to take their roster to the next level.
As for Green and the Warriors, they’re getting ready to take on the Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.
