The Heat plainly don’t fear the Celtics.
They’re up 3-0 because they’re playing with swagger and confidence. They have faith in head coach Erik Spoelstra. They are determined to continually putting up their best effort. And they’re making their three-point attempts.
Who is the most representative of Miami’s brazen approach? That would be Jimmy Butler, a six-time All-Star.
When Grant Williams got in Butler’s face during Game 2, he found himself even more motivated than normal. He claims that these kind of interactions bring out his competitive nature.
Butler has shown that passion not just by leading his team to blowout victories, but also by humiliating the Celtics in the process.
Here are five instances throughout the series that illustrate Butler’s contempt.
“Hell no,” Grant Williams isn’t the solution.
Butler had a message for Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla when he opted to put Williams on him during Game 2.
Butler raged, pointed to cameras, and informed anybody who would listen that Williams was not a viable defensive option for the Celtics as he walked off the TD Garden court after the game.
When asked a follow-up question regarding his postgame news conference remarks, Butler said, “Hell no.” He wasn’t (the response).”
Taking fun at Al Horford’s timeout celebration
Throughout the season, Al Horford has made fun of other teams by impersonating a timeout when the Celtics are on a hot streak.
The Celtics have been severely trounced by Miami on a continuous basis, and the tables have turned on them.
So, when Gabe Vincent sank a 3-pointer on a huge run, Butler decided to throw Horford’s celebration back in his face. Butler gestured, glanced about, and pretended to request a timeout for the Celtics.
Grant Williams is being pointed at following an And-1.
Butler didn’t stop bothering Grant Williams after Game 2. In Game 3, he scored a and-1 basket over Williams, collapsed to the ground, and gestured at Williams before getting up.
Williams raised his hands and pointed back.
I’m sporting a Matthew Tkachuk jersey.
Perhaps it’s just a coincidence, and Butler is merely rooting for a South Florida professional sports club.
But was Butler working out in a Matthew Tkachuk shirt after the Panthers eliminated the Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs a subtle dig at Boston?
The TD Garden, which will host Game 5 if necessary, has not been kind to the Bruins or Celtics this series. Both clubs have lost more games there than they have won.
Informing the Celtics that they are too tiny
Multiple NBA players have utilised the “too small” celebration. Butler let loose a celebratory dance after scoring on Williams. He’s been vocal about his belief that Williams is incapable of protecting him.
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