Heat’s Jimmy Butler: ‘Damn Right I Did’ Expect Deep Postseason Run

The Miami Heat continue to steamroll opponents in the 2023 NBA playoffs, with their latest victim being the Boston Celtics.

Miami defeated Boston 123-116 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to take a 1-0 series lead entering Friday’s Game 2, and Jimmy Butler told reporters after the win that he fully expected the team to make a deep playoff run this year despite falling to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the play-in tournament.

“Damn right I did. Damn right we did,” Butler said. “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. We never have. We never will.”

Butler added: “We pump constant confidence into everybody and we go out there and we hoop. We play basketball the right way, knowing that we always got a chance.”

Butler was the catalyst for the Heat’s latest victory, finishing Game 1 with 35 points, five rebounds, seven assists and six steals in what was another MVP-level performance from the six-time All-Star this postseason.

Butler entered the Eastern Conference Finals averaging 31.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.7 steals in 10 playoff games while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc.

If the 33-year-old continues to put the Heat on his back like he has since the team’s victory over the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the play-in tournament, Miami could very well be back in the NBA Finals for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

Game 2 between the Celtics and Heat is slated for Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET in Boston.