In the first-round playoff series between the Miami Heat and the top-seeded Boston Celtics, Jimmy Butler has been sidelined due to an MCL sprain he suffered against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 17. The injury has kept him out of action for both games in this series so far.
However, despite not being able to play on the court himself, Butler is frustrated with all the praise being given to Boston by the media and fans alike. In an interview that took place during a break in the game, he expressed his displeasure with the way the Celtics have been portrayed as the favorite to win not only the Eastern Conference but also the NBA championship.
Butler was particularly bothered by all the attention being given to Boston’s strengths and accomplishments, while ignoring Miami’s own successes. He felt that if he had been on the court, he could have made a difference in the outcome of the game. “I think we believe, it’s everybody else that don’t,” said Butler. “If I gotta hear one more praise about Boston on national TV when we win a game, I’m tired of hearing that, man. Its 1-1 and we finna go up 2-1.”
Miami facing Boston is a rematch from last year’s postseason where Butler was fantastic in winning the Eastern Conference Finals clash. However, this season they are the East’s No. 8 seed, which means they have to dig themselves out of a 2-1 hole against the Celtics, unlike last year when they had home-court advantage.
Butler has been with the Heat since 2019 and has yet to win an NBA championship in his career. This season could be his best opportunity to do so as Miami faces Boston in the playoffs for the first time since 2015, but only if he can recover from the MCL injury and return to the court soon.
