Miami Heat

The Miami Heat have desperately needed more from Bam Adebayo in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. In Game 3, he finally provided it.

With Jimmy Butler forced out of action for the entire second half due to knee inflammation, Adebayo responded with 31 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals in Miami's 109-103 win over the Celtics, giving the Heat a 2-1 advantage in the series.

Bam Adebayo is putting together a strong first half!

16 PTS, 6 AST, 2 STL for the @MiamiHEAT's man in the middle. pic.twitter.com/XOYWzThFTb

— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2022

Bam gets the steal and the score, he's leading the Heat on both ends!

20 PTS and 3 STL for Bam.#NBAConferenceFinals presented by Google Pixel on ABC pic.twitter.com/38huRjJrGs

— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2022

Bam Adebayo soars in for the slam 💥

🔥 27 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL 🔥

Live Now on ABC pic.twitter.com/bomGGCUZZV

— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2022

Adebayo got his flowers on social media after the game, earning comparisons to NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, who, of course, won a title in Boston:

HES IS HIM. @Bam1of1 pic.twitter.com/U0duJdQbl5

— lxwkey ❄️ (@TuatoJaylen) May 22, 2022

Bam Adebayo today pic.twitter.com/ddlrE9mmwp

— Loukás (@Nicotina_1625) May 22, 2022

Bam Adebayo looking like Kevin Garnett out there…in Boston…crazy

— Just a Guy w/ opinions & preferences. (@StopItSims) May 22, 2022

I really see a lot of KG in Bam Adebayo. He has that same face up jumper that KG had plus both are athletic for their size and are demons on the defensive end.

— Emile Nate (@eml_meister) May 22, 2022

Bam Adebayo is the 3rd best big in the L

— Kelvin Long, Jr. (@NGUCoachLong) May 22, 2022

It’s been Bam Adebayo’s Night. Has been absolutely phenomenal. Aggressive offensively and the Heat needed it without Jimmy Butler.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 22, 2022

absolutely incredible game from bam adebayo

— Michael Pina (@MichaelVPina) May 22, 2022

Bam Adebayo its ok u the MVP today #HEATCulture

— Gage (@GAGEmusicx) May 22, 2022

Adebayo was superb—even if he has a long, long, long way to go before he's in the same conversation as KG—but he was only a part of the story on Saturday. Make no mistake about it: This was an absolutely wild 48 minutes of hoop. If you had to summarize this game in one word, it would be...wut.

• Miami led by as many as 26 points in the second quarter, but a late Celtics run cut it to a 15-point deficit. 
• Butler didn't return for the second half. 
• Both Marcus Smart (ankle) and Jayson Tatum (shoulder) left the game at different points in the second half after being on the court with injuries, literally writhing in pain, only to return minutes later to the absolute delight of the TD Garden crowd.
• The Celtics turned the ball over a whopping 24 times, leading to 33 Heat points. Miami, by contrast, only turned the ball over nine times, leading to nine Boston points. 
• Boston cut the deficit to just one with 2:40 remaining, only to allow the Heat to go on a 7-0 run in the next minute that iced it. 

After the Celtics got to within 1:

Max Strus hits a 3
Boston shot clock violation
Bam Adebayo jumper at the end of the shot clock
Boston turnover
Boston intentional foul for two Miami FTs

Heat now back up by 8 with 1:07 to go.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 22, 2022

It all spoiled a golden opportunity for the Celtics to win a crucial game at home with Butler sidelined and spoiled a topsy-turvy performance from Jaylen Brown that veered from sheer brilliance (40 points, nine rebounds) to head-scratching lapses in judgment (one assist, seven turnovers).

Despite the loss, Jaylen Brown became the 1st player in the shot clock era (since 1954-55) to have a playoff game with 40 points on 100% 2-point FG shooting.

Brown shot 11-11 from inside the arc. pic.twitter.com/Yor8RSSGaX

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 22, 2022

Jaylen Brown gotta be the best player in nba history who doesn’t know how to dribble

— Jackson Safon (@JacksonSafon) May 22, 2022

Jaylen Brown is out of control. Handle is a mess right now.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) May 22, 2022

Meanwhile, Tatum struggled, managing only 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting from the field.

This game truly was a beautiful mess, and it was only Game 3.

Thus far, the reprisal of the bubble's 2020 Eastern Conference Finals has sure been a lot of fun. Round 3 goes to Miami, courtesy of Bam.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said Saturday that both Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker are planning to play in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics.

Spoelstra noted that both players will go through their pre-game routines with the intent of playing Saturday.

Lowry has not played since Game 4 of Miami's second-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers because of a hamstring ailment, while Tucker suffered a knee injury in Miami's 127-102 Game 2 loss to Boston on Thursday.

The Eastern Conference Finals are tied at one game apiece, with the Heat taking Game 1 and the Celtics answering in Game 2, but the scale could tip in Miami's favor if Lowry can return and play at a high level in Game 3.

Lowry, 36, is in the midst of his first season with the Heat, and while he has been productive when healthy, durability has been an issue.

In addition to missing time during the playoffs Lowry was limited to 63 games during the regular season, averaging 13.4 points, 7.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals while shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Before signing with Miami in free agency, Lowry spent nine seasons with the Toronto Raptors, where he earned six All-Star nods.

Lowry was a heart-and-soul player in Toronto, and he helped lead the Raptors to their first and only NBA championship in 2019.

The 37-year-old Tucker also knows a thing or two about high-leverage playoff situations, as he was a key role player on the Milwaukee Bucks' championship-winning team last season.

Miami signed Tucker in free agency during the offseason in hopes that he could perform at a high level in the playoffs once again, and the move has paid dividends thus far.

In 13 playoff games from the Heat, all of which are starts, Tucker is averaging 8.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 three-pointers made, while shooting an efficient 53.1 percent from the floor and 48.6 percent from deep.

There were some questions regarding his readiness for Game 3 when he left Game 2 against Boston, but Spoelstra's comments are promising in relation to Tucker's health.

If Lowry and Tucker both play Saturday, the Heat will essentially have a full allotment of weapons with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo all in line to play as well.

The Heat arguably have the deepest team in the NBA, and they will be a lot for the Celtics to handle in Game 3 at full strength, even with the game being in Boston.

The NBA announced Friday the members of the 2021-22 All-Defensive Teams, with some familiar faces and this season's Defensive Player of the Year headlining the First Team. 

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges make up this season's All-Defensive First Team. 

The 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team:

🏀 Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee)
🏀 Mikal Bridges (Phoenix)
🏀 Rudy Gobert (Utah)
🏀 Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis)
🏀 Marcus Smart (Boston) pic.twitter.com/YQgyjt9qSP

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 21, 2022

Meanwhile, Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green, Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers guard Matisse Thybulle and Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III make up the All-Defensive Second Team. 

The 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Defensive Second Team:

🏀 Bam Adebayo (Miami)
🏀 Draymond Green (Golden State)
🏀 Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee)
🏀 Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia)
🏀 Robert Williams III (Boston) pic.twitter.com/UJiVcGMyUw

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 21, 2022

Here's a look at the voting:

Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart of Boston and runner-up Mikal Bridges of Phoenix received the most voting points in balloting for the 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Defensive Team.

More ➡️ https://t.co/VpKETU9caP

Voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dUxDi2L2oc

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 21, 2022

Smart's selection to the first team comes as no surprise after he was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the first time in his career. This also marks his third selection to an All-Defensive Team. 

The 28-year-old was one of the driving forces behind the Celtics' No. 1-ranked defense this season. He ranked seventh in the league with 1.7 steals per game, tied for six in total steals with 119 and had 19 games with at least three steals.

Smart also finished tied for fourth with 75 loose balls recovered, tied for 10th with 206 deflections and 16 charges drawn. In addition, he finished with 3.2 defensive rebounds per game, the most of his career. 

Jackson, meanwhile, helped the Grizzlies finish with the sixth-best defensive rating in the NBA and the second-best record in the Western Conference. This marks the first All-Defensive Team selection of his career. 

The 22-year-old finished the season averaging 4.3 defensive rebounds and a career-high 2.3 blocks per game. In addition, he finished with 769 contested shots, 63 loose balls recovered, 335 total defensive rebounds, 177 total blocks and 73 steals. 

Gobert is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and this marks his sixth All-Defensive Team selection. He helped the Jazz finish with the 10th-best defensive rating in the league and was a big reason why Utah finished fifth in the Western Conference standings. 

The 29-year-old averaged 11 defensive rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. In addition, he finished with 862 contested shots, 727 total defensive rebounds, 137 total blocks, 87 deflections and 28 loose balls recovered. 

Antetokounmpo won DPoY in 2019-20 and this marks his fifth All-Defensive Team selection. He helped the Bucks finish with the 14th-best defensive rating in the NBA and was a big reason why the team finished third in the Eastern Conference. 

The 27-year-old averaged 9.6 defensive rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks per game in 2021-22. In addition, he finished with a total of 612 contested shots, 644 defensive rebounds, 72 steals, 91 blocks, 115 deflections and 64 loose balls recovered.

Bridges finished second in DPoY voting this season and this marks the first All-Defensive Team selection of his career. He helped the Suns finish with the third-best defensive rating in the NBA and the best record in the Western Conference. 

The 25-year-old averaged 3.3 defensive rebounds and 1.2 steals per game this season. In addition, he finished with a total of 168 deflections, 483 contested shots, 273 defensive rebounds, 96 steals and 36 blocks. 

The Miami Heat suffered a blowout loss to the Boston Celtics on their home floor in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday. After the game, Heat forward Jimmy Butler was blunt in his assessment.

"They tried to embarrass us," Butler told reporters. "They did embarrass us. … Overall, we just have to be better."

The Heat trailed by as many as 34 points in Thursday's 127-102 loss. Butler led Miami with 29 points, but no other player on the team had more than 14 points. As the leader of the team, Butler was unhappy with himself for not getting his teammates more involved. But he expressed optimism that he'll turn things around, saying, "I promise you, I will figure it out."

While Butler shouldering the responsibility is admirable, it's going to take a collective effort from the Heat if they hope to erase the issues from Game 2. Miami allowed Boston to shoot 51.2 percent from the field and connect on 20 of its 40 three-pointers.

The Celtics got huge performances from their stars, as Jayson Tatum had 27 points while Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each added 24. Smart, who missed Game 1 with a mid-foot sprain, proved to be the spark plug Boston needed as he also finished with 12 assists, nine rebounds, three steals and a block.

Miami faced double-digit deficits early in both games of this series. With Saturday's Game 3 set to be played at the TD Garden in Boston, the Heat will have to avoid any early lapses to bounce back and earn a win on the road.

The Boston Celtics were balanced and efficient on offense in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday. The Miami Heat, well...not so much. 

Jayson Tatum (27 points, five boards, five assists), Jaylen Brown (24 points, eight rebounds) and Marcus Smart (24 points, 12 assists, nine boards) were all excellent in the 127-102 blowout win.

Downtown Jaylen Brown 🎯

The @celtics finish Q1 with 9 3PM!#NBAConferenceFinals presented by Google Pixel on ESPN pic.twitter.com/4g1ftYoxyn

— NBA (@NBA) May 20, 2022

Jayson Tatum is ON FIRE 🔥

He has 17 points in Q2!#NBAConferenceFinals presented by Google Pixel on ESPN pic.twitter.com/xYuLC1mAPa

— NBA (@NBA) May 20, 2022

Marcus Smart from behind the backboard 🤯#NBAConferenceFinals presented by Google Pixel on ESPN pic.twitter.com/ov9DU1WgUf

— NBA (@NBA) May 20, 2022

Marcus Smart unleashes his handle 🔥

CELTICS/HEAT Live on ESPN pic.twitter.com/nLsDJ4zGjs

— NBA (@NBA) May 20, 2022

But while Jimmy Butler did his thing, scoring 29 points, he didn't get much help from his teammates. And boy did his teammates hear about it on the socials after the contest:

Jimmy Butler trying to carry the Heat tonight pic.twitter.com/6lvBaVPbnf

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) May 20, 2022

Jimmy Butler tonight, literally. pic.twitter.com/UFDZfliHbV

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) May 20, 2022

jimmy butler to his teammates in the locker room pic.twitter.com/Oe9kxhGgqL

— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) May 20, 2022

Jimmy Butler and Gabe Vincent to their Heat teammates... pic.twitter.com/b6CkXDfUdt

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 20, 2022

Jimmy Butler doesn’t have any help

— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) May 20, 2022

https://twitter.com/btoporek/status/1527475997393682440

Heat players not named Jimmy Butler should consider putting the ball in the basket.

— Inside Hoops | The NBA (@InsideHoops) May 20, 2022

Bam watching Jimmy Butler fighting for his life and he’s content with dropping a triple single.

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) May 20, 2022

Bam Adebayo attempted only six shots, finishing with six points and nine rebounds. Tyler Herro had 11 points but was 0-of-3 from beyond the arc. Victor Oladipo, who has occasionally served as a jolt of offense for these Heat in the playoffs, had 14 points, though a chunk of that came in garbage time and he shot just 2-of-8 from the field. 

So Butler's "others" didn't give him much help. 

Part of that, however, came down to the Celtics playing awesome basketball. With Smart and Horford back in the lineup after missing Game 1, Boston's defense was fantastic and the offense flowed. 

Damn!!! When elite teams playing their best basketball, game can be boring really fast!!! #Game 2 #BosvsMia

— Bogdan Bogdanovic (@LeaderOfHorde) May 20, 2022

Minute the @celtics are healthy and equally rested, they’re running Miami off the floor. Getting, as predicted, far more quality shots.

— Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd) May 20, 2022

This looks a lot like the Celtics that spent nearly a month just clobbering people after the All-Star break. Efficient offense. Airtight defense. Tatum playing like an MVP.

— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) May 20, 2022

A healthy Celtics team is just to damn good defensively. The communication, help and rotations are on another level. We can keep talking offense all we want but “Defense win Championships” Carry the hell on…

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 20, 2022

Marcus Smart makes a huge difference for them ! He Hoopin🔥

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) May 20, 2022

The Heat play hard on defense, are generally disciplined on offense and are an experienced and mentally tough team. Heat Culture has carried them this far. 

But it's almost impossible to win titles without multiple players who can consistently get you buckets. At least on Thursday night, the Heat had only one of those guys, and Boston punished them for it. 

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler believes he has been overlooked and seems to be making a point of dominating on the biggest stages during these playoffs.

Following Miami's 118-107 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith reported Butler texted him after the second-round win over the Philadelphia 76ers and said, "You and everybody else have slept on me."

Butler's resume features six All-Star nods, five All-Defensive selections, four All-NBA selections and the 2014-15 Most Improved Player award, but he is right to say he has never been in the media discussion of the very best players in the league.

ESPN ranked its top 100 players at the start of the season and placed him 16th.

That is an impressive position for any player, but he also surely didn't generate much consideration to be placed ahead of names such as LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry or Luka Doncic.

It's also hard to argue that Butler should be ranked ahead of those players, but being outside the top 10 on that list and others seems to be a motivating factor for the two-way star who has led the Heat to two of the last three Eastern Conference Finals.

Butler has been brilliant in the postseason and averaged 30.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.8 steals per game in the first-round win over the Atlanta Hawks and 27.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game in the win over the 76ers.

He impressed again in Game 1 against Boston with 41 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks while putting his team on his back for extended stretches and outplaying Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

If Butler continues to play at such a level and wins his first championship, he may just be on the top 10 of various lists ahead of next season.              

Star players are always given a little more latitude from their coaches, but the Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler wondered whether things went too far when he and head coach Erik Spoelstra got into an argument during a game in March.

During a timeout in a 118-104 loss to the Golden State Warriors, tensions between Butler and Spoelstra briefly boiled over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3z4vKW3dOI

While the involved parties appear to have moved on, ESPN's Brian Windhorst spoke to a source who said Spoelstra was "exasperated" with Butler. The argument was the culmination of what Windhorst described as a "long buildup."

Windhorst added that even Butler "wondered whether this was a breaking point."

Butler's reputation certainly precedes him.

The 32-year-old has an almost maniacal work ethic, which can be an issue if he perceives his teammates aren't working as hard as he is. He isn't afraid to stir the pot, either, most famously challenging Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns while a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"I want to run into people and see who falls down first, who is going to quit first," Butler said, per Windhorst. "I think that's the style of basketball I like to play."

It's hard to argue with the results. Butler worked his way from Tyler Junior College to Marquette and then from a seldom-used role player as a rookie to an All-Star.

But that doesn't always mean Butler's approach is the most beneficial for his team. With the Heat, he has at least found an organizational culture that matches his own, and a head coach who knows how to deftly handle any internal strife and quickly turn the page.

Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler said there was no secret formula for his 41-point performance in the team's 118-107 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

"I continued to play basketball the right way: Shoot the ball when I'm open, attack, hit the open guy," Butler told reporters after Tuesday's win. "Honestly, it was a team effort."

The six-time All-Star knocked down 12 of his 19 shots from the field and 17 of his 18 free-throw attempts in the series opener. He added nine rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks in 41 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI_D5eDoOeU?

Boston carried an eight-point lead into halftime, but Miami dominated the third quarter, 39-14, to take control of Game 1. Butler led the way with 17 points in the period.

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra praised the 32-year-old Marquette product for his competitive fire.

"Jimmy Butler is an elite competitor," Spoelstra said. "There's a lot of guys in this league that are playing basketball. He's competing to win. That's a totally different thing and he does that as well as anybody in this league."

Former NBA center Kendrick Perkins discussed how Butler seemingly raises his game to another level in the playoffs:

Jimmy Butter is a postseason Superstar. He don’t give a damn about the regular season but soon as the playoffs start he quickly become a Top 5 player in the NBA! Carry the hell on…

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 18, 2022

He's certainly been on another level in this year's postseason. He's averaging 29.8 points through 11 playoff games, well above the 21.4 points per game he put up during the regular season.

For his part, Butler explained he wants to see that third-quarter intensity from his team for the remainder of the championship pursuit.

"More than anything, it just shows us what we are capable of whenever we worry about getting stops, getting into the open floor, getting to the free throw line, all those good things," Butler said. "It just reminds me, we can do it. I see it on this piece of paper. I lived it. So I expect us to do that every quarter from here on out."

Meanwhile, the Celtics have a lot to like about Game 1. Playing on the road, they outscored the Heat in three of the four quarters, knocked down 11 threes and got some valuable bench production from Payton Prichard (18 points).

That provides some reason for optimism moving forward, especially if they're able to get back Marcus Smart (foot) and Al Horford (healthy and safety protocols), who both missed the opener.

Butler was a little too much in Game 1, however, and now the Heat will have a chance to take a commanding 2-0 lead when the series resumes Thursday night.

Throughout the early part of Tuesday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics looked like they were on their way to an easy victory as star forward Jayson Tatum opened up with a hot hand.

But it wasn't meant to be, as a massive second-half collapse by Boston opened the door for the Miami Heat to earn a 118-107 comeback win to take a 1-0 series lead.

The Celtics led by as many as 13 points in the first half. Tatum had 21 of his 29 points before halftime, and he had some people declaring him as a top-five player in the NBA. However, a disastrous third quarter led to Boston's demise as the team fell behind by as many as 20.

Unsurprisingly, much of the talk online about Tuesday's game centered on the Celtics' struggles in the second half.

Heat outscored Celtics by TWENTY-FIVE in the 3Q 🤯 pic.twitter.com/pNT4YMDOpK

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 18, 2022

The Celtics trying to figure out how to play basketball in the second half 💀 pic.twitter.com/Yad10TeBLv

— br_betting (@br_betting) May 18, 2022

The Celtics shot 2-for-15 (13.3%) in the 3rd quarter, their worst in any quarter over the last 4 seasons in the regular season or playoffs.

Boston was 1-12 on contested shots in the 3rd after making 15 of 31 contested shots in the 1st half. pic.twitter.com/l30djhUcIo

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 18, 2022

Jayson Tatum had 6(!) turnovers in the third quarter.

— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) May 18, 2022

Celtics made 2 FGM and turn it over 8 times in that 3rd quarter

I can't even believe that's real

— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) May 18, 2022

Just a despicable third quarter from the Celtics. Marcus Smart appears to be ripping them apart right now in the huddle between quarters. From where I'm sitting, he looks like he's really letting dudes have it.

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 18, 2022

jimmy outscored the celtics 17-14 in the third q

— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) May 18, 2022

Tough to imagine a more catastrophic quarter by Tatum and Brown in particular.

— Tom Westerholm (@Tom_NBA) May 18, 2022

Celtics have stopped running plays. Pritchard is trying to go iso. They're just hiding Rob Williams in the dunker spot instead of at least spacing out pick and roll for him & Brown. Celtics still look like they don't know what they're doing while Nesmith is doing going crash mode

— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) May 18, 2022

The Celtics have had some horrific third quarters this season. This one ranks right up there as one of the worst.

— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) May 18, 2022

And just like that the Celtics turned into the Suns.

— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) May 18, 2022

This is the first time since February 27 at Indiana, and just the second time in the last 51 games the Celtics have been behind by 20.

— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) May 18, 2022

I know you don't punt a freakin ECF game, but I do wonder if it's more valuable to the team to just chalk this up, get Tatum and Brown some extra rest, and just go for the split on Thursday to try to steal back home court

— John Karalis 🇬🇷 (@John_Karalis) May 18, 2022

I just don't understand what's going on. I was told the Celtics were already planning their championship parade?

— Jake Winderman (@jakewinderman) May 18, 2022

https://twitter.com/youFamousEnough/status/1526754796128051200

Boston fell victim to another special playoff performance by Heat star Jimmy Butler, who poured in 41 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field to go with nine rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks. Butler didn't even make a three-pointer, and he hit 17 of his 18 free throws. It was his third 40-point game of the 2022 playoffs.

The Celtics were shorthanded on Tuesday as starting point guard and NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart sat out with a foot sprain. Veteran center Al Horford also missed the game after entering the league's health and safety protocols.

It looked like Boston ran out of gas after halftime, but Tuesday's loss will surely be looked at as a missed opportunity. The Celtics won three of the four quarters, but they still lost by 11, which illustrates just how devastating that third quarter was.

The Celtics had the chance to steal a road win to open the series, but they just couldn't keep up with the Heat in the second half.

Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler had a question after his team eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers from the 2022 NBA playoffs on Thursday night: "Tobias Harris over me?"

In July 2019, the Sixers sent Butler to Miami as part of a sign-and-trade deal while signing Harris to a five-year, $180 million contract extension.

Clearly, the six-time All-Star didn't forget Philly's decision after Game 6:

“Tobias Harris over me?” 🗣

Jimmy sending a message to his former team

(via @Local10Sports)https://t.co/o63mdgzb2y

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 13, 2022

While the choice was often painted as Butler or Harris, behind the scenes it was apparently a different story.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Wednesday that Ben Simmons became "disenfranchised by Butler's playing and leadership style," which led the front office to believe it had to choose at the time between a 22-year-old point guard who was seemingly on the ascent and a 29-year-old forward perhaps already at his peak.

The Sixers chose Simmons, now 25, who was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in February after sitting out the entire season because of a back injury and focusing on his mental health.

So Butler, 32, could have just as easily said, "Ben Simmons over me?" and the message would have been the same, but he opted to focus on Harris.

Here's a look at how the two players performed in the series:

• Butler: 27.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, 51.5 FG%
• Harris: 16.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 47.8 FG%

And most importantly, Butler's Heat are moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Sixers made a lot of decisions over the past few years that centered around the idea of keeping Simmons and Joel Embiid as their core. While Embiid blossomed into an MVP candidate, the team's relationship with Simmons faltered after last year's playoff exit.

They were able to salvage the situation to an extent by getting James Harden from the Nets, but his playoff struggles (18.6 PPG on 40.5 percent shooting) raise a new set of questions heading into the offseason.

It may lead the Philadelphia front office to ask another question while watching Butler play in the next round of the postseason: "What if?"