NBA fans and pundits may have been surprised by the result of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Jimmy Butler, on the other hand, was anything but.
The Heat superstar dropped 35 points as he led Miami to an upset win over the Celtics on Wednesday night. During his postgame interview, a reporter asked Butler if he had thought it would be possible for the team to make a deep playoff run after having to navigate through the play-in tournament. Butler didn’t hesitate one bit.
“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. Honestly speaking, we don’t care if you pick us to win. We never have we never will,” Butler said. “Our circle is small, but this circle got so much love for one another.”
"We don't care if you pick us to win."
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 18, 2023
Jimmy Butler always had confidence that the Heat could make a deep postseason run 🔥 pic.twitter.com/E150N8UUW0
Butler was everywhere on the court on Wednesday. In addition to his game-high 35 points, which included a dagger three, Butler added seven assists, five rebounds and six steals.
The Heat entered Wednesday’s game as significant underdogs, but their status as the weaker party wasn’t something they deemed to be accurate. Butler indicated that the team remained confident ahead of the game.
“We pump constant confidence into everybody, and we go out there and hoop. We play basketball the right way knowing that we always got a chance,” Butler said.
Game 2 is set for Friday evening, where the Heat will look to continue defying the odds and win a second consecutive game in Boston.
