Butler leads Heat to second ECF in three years

PHILADELPHIA — The Miami Warmth are headed to the Jap Convention finals for the second time in three years after closing out the Philadelphia 76ers 99-90 in Sport 6 of their second-round sequence on Thursday evening.

As has been the case all through the sequence, it was Jimmy Butler who led the best way when his staff wanted him essentially the most. After going simply 3-for-10 within the first half, Butler obtained rolling within the third quarter, scoring 14 of his 32 factors whereas carrying his staff throughout the end line.

Max Strus picked up the offensive slack for the second recreation in a row, pouring in 16 of his 20 factors within the first half whereas setting the tone for a Warmth staff that got here in assured it could knock down pictures after going simply 14-for-65 from past the arc throughout losses in Video games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia.

Joel Embiid’s accidents had been the principle storylines, each coming into and throughout the sequence. However it was Butler’s general efficiency that rose to the forefront during the last week and a half as Embiid, who was additionally coping with a ligament damage in his thumb as properly an orbital fracture, struggled to place up the identical sort of MVP-caliber performances that outlined his common season.

After a shaky Sport 1 the place he went simply 5-for-16 from the sector, Butler discovered his rhythm and pushed his recreation near the extent he carried out at throughout the playoffs in 2020. Butler had 73 factors mixed in Video games 3 and 4 and racked up 23 factors, 9 rebounds and 6 assists throughout an important Sport 5 win on Tuesday evening.

“Greater than something, my teammates, my coaches, this complete group, actually consider within the participant that I’m,” Butler mentioned after Sport 5, explaining why he has repeatedly been capable of increase the extent of his recreation throughout his three years in Miami. “The participant that I’ve change into over time. So they permit me to be me right here.

“They permit me to simply hoop and never say an excessive amount of. Good, unhealthy, detached, they rocking with me. And I feel that is the very best feeling to have, particularly proper now within the playoffs. And I feel that is the explanation coach Pat [Riley] introduced me right here and we’re the place we’re.”

Now the Warmth await the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks-Boston Celtics sequence. The Bucks have a 3-2 sequence lead. Sport 6 of that sequence is Friday evening in Milwaukee.

A Bucks-Warmth matchup would mark the third straight season the 2 groups have met within the playoffs. The Warmth beat the Bucks within the Jap Convention semifinals in 2020 earlier than the Bucks swept the Warmth within the Jap Convention quarterfinals in 2021.