“YOU ARE NO JIMMY BUTLER” Stephen A. Smith bursts out on Kendrick Perkins for irrelevant take on Butler’s game 7-winning attempt
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Jimmy Butler held the fort against the formidable Boston Celtics on his own, however the Achilles’ Heel was exposed and the heat in Miami hearts turned cold as the Celtics snatched an epic Game 7 victory in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Boston Celtics were hosted by the Miami Heat at FTX Arena for Game 7 of the eastern conference finals.
In a do-or-die situation for both the teams, the Celtics thrived in the Heat and earned a trip to the NBA Finals after a decade-long of hard work and efforts. It was heartbreak for Jimmy Butler who inspite of his heroics all season, is now being heavily criticized for throwing it all away due to a missed three-pointer which would have booked them a berth in the NBA Finals.
Everyone caught their breath after another breathtaking fiasco ending to yet another emphatic Game 7 showdown, this NBA postseason. The Boston Celtics are heading back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010 after beating the Miami Heat on the road 100-96 in Game 7 Sunday night. Jayson Tatum led the way with 26 points, and Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart added on 24 points apiece as the Celtics move on to play the Golden State Warriors for the championship, beginning with Game 1 on 2nd June.
The Celtics led wire-to-wire, and responded every time the Heat went on a run. Miami went on a late run and cut the deficit to two points, but Boston managed to hang on for the win. Jimmy Butler did most of the offensive work for Miami, finishing with 35 points while playing the entire game, however Butler’s heroics were not enough this time as Boston held their nerve and handed Miami a heartbreaking loss in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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“You Ain’t Jimmy Butler !” Stephen A Smith & Kendrick Perkins have a go at each other on ESPN
Jimmy Butler had a very unfortunate night during the Eastern Conference Finals being sent home after Game 7. The team has been trying relentlessly to redeem themselves from the 2019-20 NBA Finals but it seems like they also need to put in more work on skills outside of defense.
Jimmy Butler missed the game-winner which could have sent Miami Heat to their 2nd NBA Finals in 3 years and received heavy criticism for the same. Amid the bundle of critics lining up, Stephen A Smith and Kendrick Perkins got into a fiery debate about his shot selection, in the waning seconds of the match.
Kendrick Perkins was visibly pissed at Jimmy Butler for taking such an attempt with 17 seconds on the clock, he believed that his decision making was poor, which is what cost Miami their trip to the Finals. Perkins hailed the Boston defense as one of the best ever, one of the prime reasons they reached the NBA Finals.
“I will not allow you to sit up here and miseducate the audience and say that Jimmy Butler was pushing the ball in transition thinking about the Miami Heat. We saw Al Horford get down and kind of force Jimmy Butler into a three-point shot. People keep wanting to praise and talk about the offense and things of that nature. I look at Boston Celtics and Imma keep harping on this, one of the best defensive teams I’ve seen in NBA history”
To this, Stephen A Smith retorted by saying- ” You don’t know if its miseducation or not cos you ain’t Jimmy Butler !”
Smith had previously said that he backed Butler for taking the shot, he said – “I take into account a few things. Number one, he had been making shots throughout the last two games or so. Remember, he went through a three-game stretch when he was only averaging nine points after averaging 35 in the first two games of this series. Butler is aware Kyle Lowry ain’t healthy. Max Strus isn’t 100% healthy, Jimmy Butler didn’t want overtime because Jimmy Butler ain’t healthy either.“
Perkins had a reply of his own, ” I was a player and I know that in that short stint of time, there is no way you’re pushing the ball, thinking about the health of your team, and that is why he pulled up for the shot.” While both arguments are compelling, you can’t hate on Jimmy Butler for taking his chances to drop a 3-pointer and take it home for Miami, after everything he has done for them this series.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for Miami and for Butler, after they got so close and yet so far of the NBA Finals. Game 6 happened to be one of the biggest nights in the player’s career after he had the responsibility to help the Heat avoid a closeout to face elimination. He scored a historic 47 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists in the game. Unfortunately, the following game did not have the same outcome on offense as they had hoped for. Miami heals from defeat as Boston lock horns with Golden State Warriors as the NBA Championship hangs in the balance , the biggest stage awaits !
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Aditya Minocha
(216 Articles Published)