The Heat have gone 2 up on the Celtics, and they are yet to play a single game in Miami. The 105-111 loss at TD Garden could have been avoided by the Cs if Grant Williams did not poke Jimmy Butler when he didn’t have to. In fact, it sent the visiting team on an 18-4 run late in the 4th quarter, which proved enough for them to steal Game 2. After the game, Shaquille O’Neal and the rest of the TNT crew laughingly suggested the Celtics leave Butler alone.
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It was not the first time Butler pushed for a late run to clinch the game. Worse, Grant Williams didn’t even play in Game 1. So, perhaps the case can be made that he shouldn’t have been talking in the first place.
Jimmy had a game-high 35 points to go along with 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 6 steals in a 116-123 late comeback win on Wednesday. And perhaps it was because the Celtics forward made the mistake of making him mad Friday night.
They better refrain from doing that again in Game 3. Or at least, that’s what Shaquille O’Neal and the rest of the Inside crew believe.
“Y’all Better Leave Jimmy Butler Alone”: Shaquille O’Neal
After the game, the NBA on TNT team, sitting in TD Garden, were analyzing what and where it all went wrong for the Celtics. And they mutually agreed that the cause of death was his little incident with “Jimmy Freaking Butler”. Take a look at what they said on the latest episode of Inside the NBA.
“I remember one time, I was walking, and a dog wasn’t bothering me. Then I decided to mess with the dog and it bit,” Shaq came up with a funny story to tell Grant Williams and Co to not mess with Jimmy Buckets. “Y’all (Celtics) better leave Jimmy Butler alone.”
The crew even barked on National TV when they watched Jimmy and Grant head-butting each other. Watch the hilarious post-game presentation by Inside the NBA in the following embed.
Butler has taken the game away from the Celtics in the 4th quarter twice in two games. On the other hand, Jayson Tatum, despite having a combined 64 points in those games, has yet to make a field goal in that specific period.
But even if Grant had kept quiet after making the 3 on Jimmy, the result may have been a different one. The Celtics had a 9-point lead with just over 6 minutes remaining in the game at that point.
If he hadn’t talked smack in Jimmy’s ear or didn’t go in a head-butting contest with him after that, the series could have been on level terms.
What can the Celtics do to come back?
Not talk to Jimmy Butler at all for starters.
Knowing how great of a player Tatum is, we know he will rectify his lack of scoring in the 4th. However, if the Celtics fail to keep their calm against Jimmy in Miami, they likely won’t see this series go back to the TD Garden.
As Shaq, Draymond Green, and Butler himself, have suggested, they must know when to talk trash and whom to talk trash to. In fact, “Shut up and dribble” might just be the best mantra for them, if they want to force a game 5.
