Shaquille O'Neal sends interesting but positive message on Boston Celtics star: 'Cadillac player'

Shaquille O'Neal was very creative in his description of Kristaps Porzingis during halftime of a Game 3 victory for the Boston Celtics over the Miami Heat that was practically never close from wire to wire: he's a "Cadillac" in the eyes of "Diesel."

"When has high numbers, they are most likely going to win all the time," O'Neal said during the halftime show when the Celtics held a 63-39 lead (h/t Inside The Heat). "... He's a Cadillac player, he can go inside or out ... Again, when he plays well, when he's that third guy averaging in low 20s, possibly high 20s, they are very tough to beat."

Porzingis badly needed a comeback game after a dismal Game 2, and that's exactly what Boston got from the Latvian center. The big man surpassed his field goal and points total from Game 2 in the first half in Game 3 and finished with a 55/60/83 shooting slash.

Boston Celtics make Jimmy Butler's pregame take go cold in Game 3

Jimmy Butler has been a thorn in the side of the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals even without playing a game -- trolling Boston after Game 2 and supposedly inspiring Tyler Herro to have one of his finest efforts as a pro before it.

On April 27, though, he bit off more than he could chew and had a pregame take that went cold almost immediately.

"I think we believe; it's everybody else that don't," Butler said pregame (h/t Yahoo Sports). "If I gotta hear one more praise about Boston on national TV when we win a game -- I'm tired of hearing that, man.

"It's 1-1, we (about to) go up 2-1."

Up 2-1 Miami is not. The Celtics responded perfectly to Butler's troll attempts and now have a chance to retake home-court advantage in Game 4.