Heat star Jimmy Butler pulled off another dazzling performance in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, contributing 35 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and six steals.
Miami took one on Boston's home floor, getting past the Celtics, 123-116, at the TD Garden with the help of this dagger.
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Jimmy Butler Always Believed Miami Would Get This Far
When asked if he thought that the Heat would make a deep playoff run, the 33-year-old did not hold back.
"Damn right, I did. Damn right, we did. And the best part about it is we still don't care what none of y'all think. We don't care if you pick us to win," Butler said.
The Heat had a longer path to the playoffs than usual, needing the play-in tournament to qualify.
After losing their first play-in game against the Atlanta Hawks, Miami found themselves trailing with about four minutes to go in the do-or-die game against the Chicago Bulls. They survived the test, but it was not going to be easier moving forward.
As the enormous task of facing the #1 seed Milwaukee Bucks loomed, they did not falter.
The Heat pulled off a stunning upset when they took down the Bucks in a short five-game series, needing overtime to finish the job in the clincher.
The second-round series against the New York Knicks was longer by a game, but it didn't look like the Heat were in jeopardy.
With the series-opener win in Boston, the Heat inch closer to a return to the Finals, the same stage they were on three years ago in the 2020 NBA bubble.
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