It’s a shot of Jimmy Butler that we had discussed for a very long time, and as the same actors meet a year, day for day, later, inevitably, it returns to the front of the stage. On May 29, 2022, when they were still trailing by 13 points (98-85) 3 minutes 35 from the end of this Game 7, the Heat had made a magnificent comeback by taking advantage of Marcus Smart’s missed 3-pointers. Exactly like in Game 6 on Saturday night.
A big outside shot from Max Strus had even brought Miami to a possession (98-96) in the last minute. A new failed layup from Marcus Smart then offered the decisive possession to Jimmy Butler. The Heat star then takes the rebound and goes up the field. There are about twenty seconds left to play. Faced with Al Horford, who is positioned to hinder him in the event of an attack from the circle, the Florida leader stops immediately behind the line at 3-pts, in first intention!
“I said to myself that I had to go for the victory, which I did. I missed a shot. But this shot suits me. My teammates liked this shot. So I’m going with that” explained the person concerned.
While he did not leave the slightest second of the match, Jimmy Butler had therefore attempted a gamble. Double or quits. Even if the Heat came back, did he think it was better to avoid overtime and his five extra minutes of play by looking for the knockout rather than the equalizer by attacking the circle? For Erik Spoelstra, this choice was the right one.
Did Jimmy Butler think of Kawhi Leonard?
“I’m still analyzing, but it would have been an incredible story if Jimmy had taken and sunk that 3-pointer” judged the coach. “That’s what I like about Jimmy. It was the right option and as the ball left his hand I was sure it was going to go in. It was a good, clean shot, a better shot than anything we could have drawn. It’s a shame it didn’t end like this, but I can only compliment Boston. They lived through difficult things and they won the right to go to the final. »
For his part, Marcus Smart explained that he had generally tightened the buttocks…
” Not yet… “, he sighed seeing Butler take that shot. “Jimmy was playing really well, so when he got up I was like, ‘Oh, man. I just hoped he missed. I think our defense eventually wore him down, it was a good shot for a great player but he missed it, and we ended up with the win. So we can be grateful for that.”
On Twitter, John Schuhmann recalled another element that could explain Jimmy Butler’s “all-in”. Because during Game 7 of the conference semi-final between the Sixers and the Raptors, in 2019, Jimmy Butler had equalized on a very similar situation. Leaving enough time for Kawhi Leonard to register his “buzzer beater”…
| Jimmy Butler | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2011-12 | CHI | 42 | 9 | 40.5 | 18.2 | 76.8 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 2.6 |
| 2012-13 | CHI | 82 | 26 | 46.7 | 38.1 | 80.3 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 8.6 |
| 2013-14 | CHI | 67 | 39 | 39.7 | 28.3 | 76.9 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 13.1 |
| 2014-15 | CHI | 65 | 39 | 46.2 | 37.8 | 83.4 | 1.8 | 4.1 | 5.8 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2015-16 | CHI | 67 | 37 | 45.5 | 31.1 | 83.2 | 1.2 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 20.9 |
| 2016-17 | CHI | 76 | 37 | 45.5 | 36.7 | 86.5 | 1.7 | 4.5 | 6.2 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 23.9 |
| 2017-18 | MIN | 59 | 37 | 47.4 | 35.0 | 85.4 | 1.3 | 4.0 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 22.2 |
| 2018-19 * | All Teams | 65 | 34 | 46.2 | 34.7 | 85.5 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 5.3 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 18.7 |
| 2018-19 * | PHL | 55 | 33 | 46.1 | 33.8 | 86.8 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 5.3 | 4.0 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 18.2 |
| 2018-19 * | MIN | 10 | 36 | 47.1 | 37.8 | 78.7 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 5.2 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 21.3 |
| 2019-20 | MIA | 58 | 34 | 45.5 | 24.4 | 83.4 | 1.8 | 4.8 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2020-21 | MIA | 52 | 34 | 49.7 | 24.5 | 86.3 | 1.8 | 5.1 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 21.5 |
| 2021-22 | MIA | 57 | 34 | 48.0 | 23.3 | 87.0 | 1.8 | 4.1 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 21.4 |
| 2022-23 | MIA | 64 | 33 | 53.9 | 35.0 | 85.0 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 22.9 |
| Total | 754 | 33 | 46.8 | 32.2 | 84.2 | 1.6 | 3.7 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 18.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
