Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is still confident his team can finish off the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals despite the C’s winning Games 4 and 5 to stave off elimination after a three-game losing streak in the best-of- seven matchups.
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“We can and we will win this series.”
Jimmy Butler has confidence in the Heat to close out the series at home 👀 pic.twitter.com/1YcO2prcgh
“We just have to play better, start the game better with the starters. Make it more difficult for them. They are in a rhythm since the start of the game, but we always stay positive knowing that we can and we’re going to win this series, and we just have to finish it at home,” Butler told reporters after Game 5.
Boston jumped out to a 20-5 lead and never looked back en route to beating Miami 35-20 in the first quarter on Thursday. The Celtics led by as many as 24 points and never trailed.
Beginners struggle especially. Four of Boston’s five starters scored 21 or more points led by Derrick White’s 24. On the other hand, the Heat starters only scored 44 points.
The Heat are in danger of becoming the first team in NBA history to lose a playoff series after they took a 3-0 lead. Boston defeated the Heat in the last two contests, most notably winning Game 4 116-99 in Miami to turn the series north.
However, the Heat jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a number of factors, including outstanding play from Butler and a solid supporting cast that helped lead to some dominant second-half performances, especially that was the 46-point third quarter in Game 1.
Game 6 goes down Saturday at 8:30 pm ET at the Kaseya Center in Miami.
