Regardless of a lopsided loss to the Denver Nuggets in Recreation 1, Jimmy Butler stays assured that the Miami Warmth will win the NBA championship. Butler’s confidence has by no means wavered all through the playoffs, even when dealing with higher-seeded opponents.
Right here’s what “Jimmy Buckets” needed to say to the media earlier than Recreation 2 when requested about Miami’s mindset after the loss:
(4:20 mark)
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“Irrespective of what number of factors they rating, we simply gotta rating extra, get extra stops, play tougher, do issues the suitable means. We’re okay, we actually are. We’re very calm, we’re very collected.
“We have now a lot confidence, nonetheless. It’s not going wherever. We’re gonna consider in one another, all the time, it doesn’t matter what, residence or away. We’re nonetheless gonna get 4.”
Within the Japanese Convention finals and regardless of three straight losses to the Boston Celtics, Butler assured a Recreation 7 win. Jimmy Butler’s Warmth misplaced a brutal Recreation 6 when Derrick White’s follow-up shot went into the rim with 0.1 seconds left within the clock.
As a substitute of wilting, the Warmth remained calm whereas battling the Celtics in a close-out recreation on the highway. Miami dominated Boston from begin to end to punch a ticket to the NBA Finals in opposition to the Denver Nuggets.
The Miami Warmth, although, are dealing with maybe the playoffs’ most unflappable crew. Nikola Jokic is enjoying at a traditionally nice stage and is sort of unstoppable. Jamal Murray has been simply nearly as good because the Serbian celebrity.
Collectively, they’ve been a nightmare to defend. Jimmy Butler and the Warmth protection tried quite a lot of issues to cease the Jokic-Murray two-man recreation to no avail. They fronted, dropped, rolled out their zone protection and even tried a box-1. Denver’s star duo had solutions to every little thing the Warmth threw at them.
Regardless of what that they had seen, “Jimmy Buckets” oozed with confidence:
(5:15 mark)
“You gotta get to 4. It’s by no means over. No one’s counted out. You gotta get to 4. Down 0-1, we all know we’re gonna get to 4. … We have now to be higher if we need to win. Not an excessive amount of is alleged. It’s all about what we’re gonna do.”
Jimmy Butler vowed to maintain on passing to open shooters regardless of their horrible exterior taking pictures in Recreation 1
Max Strus and Duncan Robinson mixed for 1-14 from behind the arc. Caleb Martin, who practically gained the Japanese Convention MVP award over Jimmy Butler, went 1-7. If not for Haywood Highsmith and Kyle Lowry all of the sudden hitting their pictures, Miami’s taking pictures numbers would have been actually ugly.
Butler had this to say to his struggling shooters:
“I have to say to them, ‘I’m nonetheless gonna throw you the ball. And in the event you miss the subsequent 10 [shots] and also you’re open on that eleventh one, I’m nonetheless going to throw you the ball since you’ll by no means be the explanation why we lose. It’s all the time a bunch effort and I need you to take the identical pictures.”
The Miami Warmth shot 5-16 (31%) from open three-pointers. They have been 49% throughout the Japanese Convention finals in opposition to the Boston Celtics. Miami had quite a few open appears. They only must make them.
Jimmy Butler’s confidence in his shooters isn’t wavering a bit.
Additionally learn: Jimmy Butler clarifies he has no ‘Beef’ with Nikola Jokic after Warmth-Nuggets altercation in 2021