May 30, 2022

  • Brian WindhorstESPN Senior Author

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    • ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010
    • Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years
    • Author of ii books

MIAMI -- Erik Spoelstra'south eyes traced the shot as it left Jimmy Butler's hands. The arc looked good. It was rotating perfectly. The emotions swelled in the Miami Estrus coach'south chest as he instinctively kicked out his legs in the concluding moments of Sunday's Game 7 of the Eastern Briefing finals within FTX Arena.

"I thought for certain it was going down," Spoelstra said. "I idea information technology would have been an incredible storyline for Jimmy to pull up and hit that 3."

"I was like, man, what the hell," Boston Celtics baby-sit Jaylen Brown said.

"Oh," Celtics charabanc Ime Udoka said, "he'south been making big shots all serial."

"Not again," idea Marcus Smart, who watched Butler blast a clutch shot over him at the terminate of Game half-dozen.

Butler posed as the ball approached the rim; the nearby Estrus bench coiled for a collective jump. But Butler had played 47 minutes, 45 seconds of a 48-minute game, two days after he played for 47 minutes in Boston. Maybe it was fatigue, mayhap information technology was the lingering soreness in his knee, maybe it was the pressure, just the ball concluded up hit the front of the rim.

The storyline Spoelstra was dreaming about? The Heat -- dilapidated, bruised and bluntly undermanned in a physical series -- had pulled a magic act to even become to Sunday's competition. Looking at the past ii weeks adequately, this was a tied series only because of the Rut'south mix of guile, timing and anti-inflammatories. And Miami was doing it again in Game 7.

Seven times the Celtics had built their atomic number 82 to double figures, and seven times the Heat clawed back. Had Butler's 3-pointer dropped with 15 seconds to play, the Rut would accept taken a i-point lead -- their first of the game.

The Heat had a puncher'southward take a chance, an underdog with aught to lose who tin can have a wild risk. One perfect swing at the correct moment could knock out the favorite.

Butler could've driven the ball to the rim and gone for the tie. He had momentum and space, having started his own fast break afterward grabbing a rebound. And Butler is one of the league'southward best finishers around the rim, his strength and dexterity perfect for scoring in traffic.

Instead, with himself and his squad tired and hurting, Butler went for the haymaker.

"My thought process was, 'Go for the win,' which I did," said Butler, who backed up his 47 points in Game 6 with 35 in Game seven. "[I] missed a shot. But I'thou taking that shot. My teammates liked the shot that I took. Then I'thou living with it."

Butler isn't a man of regrets, but the miss will sting. A few moments after, the Celtics polished off the 100-96 victory to earn their first trip to the NBA Finals in 12 years with a series against the Golden State Warriors.

This is where the other side of the storyline comes in. And that is the man who came out to stop Butler.

The Celtics were on the verge of a devastating defeat, blowing a vital series in 1 of the worst ways imaginable. Just if at that place was ane player they could accept picked to be in front of a streaking Butler in that moment, it was Al Horford.

Horford did everything right. He got out in front of Butler and "loaded" -- jargon for setting himself to defend against a thespian on a drive -- with Horford betwixt the Rut star and the basket.

"I didn't know what he was going to do," said Horford, who was playing with a heavy heart after the expiry of his maternal gramps earlier in the week. "It seemed like he was going to go for the shot, simply I had to make certain that I stayed solid; and when he pulled up for the 3, I was like, let me contest the all-time way that I tin. He got a skilful wait at it."

Horford is the best defender the Celtics have when it comes to contesting shots like the one Butler was virtually to endeavour. Horford contested 29 more than shots than any other Celtic in the series because he's always in the right spot.

When Butler went against Horford in the serial, he shot 27%. When the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo went against Horford in the East semifinal circular, he fabricated 37%. Before in Sun's game, Horford absolutely stoned the Heat'south Max Strus on a dunk attempt in a classic example of his power even at age 35.

The math backside Butler's 3-point effort screamed "bad shot." Butler, who isn't a 3-point shooter by nature, took just 19 pull-up 3-pointers for the entire season and fabricated merely half-dozen. Only in this series, he was 4-of-vii on open 3s. This 1 felt open up. For a second, it was wide-open up.

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Jimmy Butler defends decision to take belatedly 3-pointer

Jimmy Butler says he's living with his conclusion to take a 3-pointer in the closing moments of the Oestrus'due south loss to the Celtics in Game seven.

"Information technology was nervus-wracking," Horford said of Butler's shot. "He pulled up and anything could have happened at that place."

It was the 141st playoff game of Horford's 15-year career and he'd never been to the Finals, the longest streak in the history of the NBA. And had he been a piddling slower to pivot and rush out to bother Butler, maybe that streak would still be alive.

Equally the competition ended, Horford chucked the game ball into the air. When the Bob Cousy Bays was awarded to the Celtics as the E'southward champions, information technology was handed to Horford.

For all of Butler and the Estrus'south disappointment, Horford and his squad's joy was the balance -- and the latest chapter in what has already been a rugged playoff ride.

"This journey is non easy. Nosotros had a difficult path," Horford said. "Brooklyn, Milwaukee -- the defending champs -- and Miami ... they took us to the brink. For our grouping, it's resiliency, it'due south switching the page, moving on to the next thing, and nosotros did that all season."