The Heat are one loss away from a historic choke job, but Jimmy Butler is keen on making sure his team is on the right side of history. After his team’s brutal Game 6 loss Saturday night, he made a bold prediction for the pivotal Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night against the Celtics in Boston.
“I’m not gon’ let anybody quit. I’m not gonna let our guys quit,” Butler said after Miami’s 104–103 loss Saturday night. “I don’t give a damn what happens—we gon’ go in there [TD Garden], and we’re gonna win.”
Both Miami and Butler started the series remarkably, but the team is now one loss away from becoming the first team in NBA history to lose a playoff series after being up 3–0.
Jimmy Butler guarantees a Miami Heat Game 7 win 👀pic.twitter.com/ptFZGrmf5v
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) May 28, 2023
Butler also has struggled after being dominant to start the series. He shot just 5-for-21 in Game 6 after shooting only 10 times in Game 5. He also acknowledged his own shortcomings during Saturday’s postgame press conference and took responsibility for the Heat’s current predicament.
“I told the guys in the locker room that if I play better, we’re not even in this position,” Butler said. “And I will be better.”
"If I play better, we're not even in this position."
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 28, 2023
Jimmy Butler following the Heat's Game 6 loss at the buzzer pic.twitter.com/1ezytKDKWb
Game 7 in TD Garden is set for Monday night at 8:30 ET on TNT.
