Coup’s Takeaways: Jimmy Butler Paints His Masterpiece To Force Game 7

1. It was apparent from the very first minute that the HEAT came to play. Not that you would have expected any different from a team that has responded to adversity over and over again this season, but you would have been forgiven for wondering if the injuries were piling up to becoming insurmountable.

Instead, the shooters that had been struggling found the juice, and just like in Game 3 the HEAT took an early lead and were able to hold off the Celtics every single time push came to shove, even when they were about to fall over. Neither one of these otherwise good offensive teams were very good in clutch minutes this season, but this time Boston’s worst habits caught up to them as they dribbled out the clock slowly looking for mismatches. They took a brief lead in those final minutes until Kyle Lowry hit a massive three and Jimmy Butler took the lead for good, capping off a performance for the ages with one drive after another, one short jumper after another to force a Game 7 on Sunday with a 111-103 win. Miami got the turnovers they needed (17 from Boston), the threes they needed (15-of-35) and they had Butler.

These are the games that make you feel alive, and I bet your heart was beating out of your chest until the clock hit zeroes. Nobody is forgetting this game for a long, long time.

2. After two of the worst games of his postseason career in a HEAT jersey, Butler was back. We’re not even going to say that he looked more explosive – who can really tell, with that sort of thing – but after shooting 6-of-22 in Games 4 and 5 he responded on the road in an elimination game with 47 points on 16-of-29 shooting. He did hit a handful of threes with Boston conceding that shot, but this was about far more than a few deep jumpers (or set shots, in his case). With the team able to space the floor better and get him a few more advantageous matchups, Butler was relentless, shooting 9-of-18 in the paint, a perfect 3-of-3 in the mid-range and got to the line for 11-of-11.

He didn’t quite steal Boston’s soul from the opening minutes like LeBron James did in a Game 6 all those years ago, but he silenced the crowd over and over again all the same. If you never thought you would see another performance like James’ to save a season, Butler was here to prove you wrong. Add in nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals, and you couldn’t ask for anything more in one of the best performances you will ever see.

3. Sometimes, you just need to hit shots. But it also helps to get yourself better shots to make. Unlike in Games 4 and 5, where Miami was either taking the threes that Boston was happy to concede or having to work double duty just to create an inch or two of space, the HEAT’s offensive process was much, much better. Sure, there were a couple bailout shots – Strus hitting a deep one with a defender all over him on a one-second inbound play was huge – but Kyle Lowry was pushing the ball in transition and finding shooters before the defense could get set and Butler’s drives especially were creating the inside-out opportunities that had been so sorely lacking in recent outings.

The result was that every time Boston made a push, the HEAT weren’t desperately trying to create a shot to keep up. They were deliberate and forceful in the halfcourt, scoring 102.4 points-per-play and 116.8 per 100 possessions overall. Good process begets good results, and this was as much as Miami’s offense looked like itself – within reason, against a team taking away their most comfortable actions – in a few games. Maybe those shots don’t fall at the same rate on Sunday – Game 7’s are notoriously stingy with the points – but the way they earned them is the way they can win.