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Brian Windhorst, ESPN Senior Author
MIAMI — Jimmy Butler enjoys making others uncomfortable.
It is a trait that has change into his trademark, making use of to every part from overcharging for coffee, blasting nation music or barking at others on the basketball court docket, be they teammates or opponents.
Now, after 4 years with the Miami Heat, his staff has taken after the 33-year-old veteran ahead; the Warmth’s capability to really feel undisturbed amid turbulence has outlined the No. 8 seed’s great playoff run.
This has been an antacid season for Miami; principally all it does is play shut video games. For a dizzying 62 occasions via the 2022-23 common season and playoffs, the Warmth have been in video games that reached “clutch” time, when the lead is inside 5 factors within the final 5 minutes or extra time. That’s the third most for a staff up to now 25 years.
And it has been a tumultuous playoffs, too. Even with dazzling finish outcomes — they’re now 10-3 after profitable Recreation 2 to understand a 2-0 collection lead within the Jap Convention finals over the Boston Celtics — it has been a rollicking experience, one which continues Sunday in Miami for Recreation 3 (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT).
“We now have simply had a whole lot of reps on studying easy methods to cope with a whole lot of completely different feelings,” Warmth coach Erik Spoelstra stated.
“Each single recreation, it felt like for weeks on finish, each recreation was ending on the last-second shot, whether or not we’re taking pictures it or the opposite staff is taking pictures it. So that you develop some grit from that.”
Grit is one phrase for what Butler brings, but it surely would not fairly seize the whole thing of it. It is extra of an edgy calm. He sometimes performs with a fireplace in clutch occasions that by no means seems to be put out.
The Warmth had been down 11 factors with 11 minutes remaining in Friday’s Recreation 2 in Boston. They had been down 9 with simply over six minutes left. That was when Butler executed his three-point play, drawing a foul from Celtics ahead Grant Williams after which getting face-to-face with him in a trash-talking duel.
“I like that gnarly model of Jimmy,” Spoelstra stated after the sport.
Gnarly, but unbothered. Butler’s heartbeat did not appear to alter, and neither did his staff’s. After that bucket by Butler, Miami outscored Boston 24-9 to assert a 111-105 victory.
They’d completed it once more.
It is who they’re, it is who Butler is.
“It makes me smile,” stated Butler, who had 9 of his 27 factors within the fourth quarter in Recreation 2. “When folks speak to me, ‘I am like, OK, I do know I am an honest participant if you wish to speak to me out of everyone that you may speak to.'”
Miami is now an unimaginable 6-2 on this postseason after they path by at the least 10 factors — and 2-0 on this collection with the Celtics.
They’ve 38 clutch-time wins this season. They’ve 55 whole wins together with the postseason. They principally win shut, typically coming from effectively behind, or they lose shut. They usually apply most stress on opponents in doing so.
“Simply being in these conditions 50-plus occasions in the course of the common season, that simply brings nice expertise for us,” Bam Adebayo, who had an excellent Recreation 2 with 22 factors, 17 rebounds and 5 assists, stated.
In the meantime, the Celtics have twice blown 10-point, fourth-quarter leads in these playoffs, tied for probably the most in a postseason up to now 25 years.
The distinction within the two groups’ consolation ranges in these uncomfortable moments, with Butler on the coronary heart of all of it, has been stark.
Because the Warmth put collectively a collection of clutch performs from Butler, Adebayo and Caleb Martin, who had a career-playoff-high 25 factors in Recreation 2, the Celtics have melted. Boston missed seven of its final eight photographs and dedicated three brutal turnovers.
It was the Celtics’ fifth residence defeat of those playoffs. It was the Warmth’s fifth postseason highway win.
It isn’t a development that will’ve been anticipated between these two groups, one which had a powerful common season and one which felt like simply being in countless shut video games was an indictment.
However one journey to get to this stage is paying off greater than the opposite, thanks largely to Miami’s star participant — and its calming presence.
“This group has been collectively for some time, so there’s some collective experiences,” Spolestra stated. “However actually this 12 months was actually distinctive for all of us. There is a magnificence within the wrestle. There is a magnificence in that grind, and we’re privileged to have the ability to undergo a novel common season like we’ve.”