By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Jimmy Butler scored 47 points, a career playoff-high, and one of the best performances by a player facing elimination in NBA history, and the Heat forced the Eastern Conference finals to a decisive seventh game by beating the Boston Celtics 111-103.
As Kyle Lowry said about his teammate in the press conference: “It’s incredible to have a guy like him next to me. I’ve played with some great players, and he’s one of the best.”
Ten years after LeBron James scored 45 points in a Game 6 in Boston en route to the first of the Heat’s back-to-back NBA titles, Butler scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to top him and send the series back to Miami.
With a victory at home, the Heat would advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years.
“This is the way it should be, with these two teams. It should have gone seven games,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I’m just really thrilled that our group gets an opportunity to compete in a Game 7 in front of our home crowd.”
Lowry finished with 18 points and 10 assists before fouling out with 2:18 left. Butler made 16 of 29 shots — including 4 of 8 from 3-point range — and all 11 free throws.
Jayson Tatum had 30 points and nine rebounds for Boston and White came off the bench to score 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. The Celtics are trying to reach the finals for the first time since 2010, two years after the New Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen won the franchise’s 17th NBA title — a record since tied by the Lakers.