“I’m sitting here shell-shocked,” related ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith after the Boston Celtics‘ Game 6 loss to the Miami Heat at TD Garden Friday night. “I was absolutely stunned by the spectacular performance that Jimmy Butler had — not because I thought he wasn’t capable of it if healthy.”
“I told you last game watching these guys over the last two games, it felt like an infirmary,” he added referring to not only Butler’s knee inflammation but injuries that had been hobbling five other teammates in recent games that magically seemed to heal overnight. “Somehow, someway, the medical staff in the Miami Heat looked like they deserved the MVP,” suggested Smith.
The Celtics could have punched their ticket to the 2022 NBA Finals with a win in Game 6 on Friday night. Now, this Sunday, they’ll have to try again in a decisive Game 7 showdown in Miami.
