Jimmy Butler sends confident message to Boston Celtics ahead of Eastern Conference Finals
Jimmy Butler sent a strong message of confidence ahead of his Heat’s Eastern Conference Finals rematch from a year ago with the Boston Celtics — and it was one that made it clear he doesn’t believe critics have their finger on the pulse when it comes to how this series will go.
Jimmy Butler, who goes into every year expressing belief his team will win a title, said just now: "This year is our year. We're going to go into this game 1 and do what we're supposed to do and be the first one to four. We are very capable of it. We have enough...
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) May 16, 2023
Guys are playing some incredible basketball. I like our
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) May 16, 2023
chances, as does everyone in this organization." He also says how good Celtics are, noting "if there's
ever a need for perfect basketball, even though it's not really a thing, we better get as close to it as we can."
Miami took Boston to seven games during the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals but bowed out after Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart combined for 74 points in the winner-take-all finale.
Butler, to his credit, was not to blame for the series loss, having averaged 25 points and seven rebounds. While Butler’s 24/7 totals in the Knicks series were nearly identical to that, his 37 points on an otherworldly 59% shooting from the field put the rest of the NBA, the Boston Celtics included, on notice.
Boston Celtics are massive favorites over the Heat in Eastern Conference Finals
Boston is a massive favorite over Miami in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. ESPN believes the Heat have just a 3% chance of beating the Celtics.
The Miami Heat have a 3% chance of reaching the NBA Finals, according to ESPN Analytics 😮 pic.twitter.com/CbeoYzZQOx
— ESPN (@espn) May 15, 2023
ESPN Analytics, of course, is no soothsayer. Sports are crazy and the Cs can’t allow themselves to slip into the same malaise that has plagued them at points all season. Otherwise, they’ll be another massive win for the sportsbooks.