Jimmy Butler is flaming the Boston Celtics on and off the court en route to the Miami Heat's 3-0 series lead.
The Miami Heat entered the NBA playoffs as the No. 8 seed. They were a seemingly mediocre offensive team stewing in season-long turmoil. When the Hawks beat the Heat in the first play-in game, it felt like Miami was on the brink of collapse — maybe even approaching the end of the Jimmy Butler era as we knew it.
Well, flash forward a few weeks and Miami currently holds a 3-0 series lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston sent the Heat packing last season; now Butler and company are exacting their revenge.
Butler in particular has been enjoying Miami's dominance. Not many superstars can match Butler's spunk and competitive spirit. He lives to embarrass opponents, hibernating during the regular season before blossoming into a springtime superhero when the postseason arrives.
Jimmy Butler roasts Grant Williams and the Boston Celtics on Instagram
After the Heat's Game 2 win on the road, Butler responded "hell no" when asked if Grant Williams was the answer to stopping him. That came after Butler vociferously denounced Williams' impact in the moments after the game. If we've learned anything this postseason, it's to never poke a bear.
Game 3 was no different. Williams (nor anyone else on Boston's roster) could stop Miami's offensive onslaught. Butler wasn't even in particularly explosive form; he scored 16 points on 13 shots and dropped six assists. Instead, he led the charge for what became a total team effort. Six Miami players scored in double-digits, including 22 off the bench from Duncan Robinson.
This remarkable and-one bucket over Williams, however, might be the perfect encapsulation of Butler's remarkable postseason run so far.
Butler has been the MVP of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. He's not only annihilating defenses with his trademark patience and precision on the offensive end; he's playing elite defense and setting the tone for Miami's no-nonsense, hard-hitting approach.
Very few players can back up their smack talk like Jimmy Butler. The Celtics still have time to respond, but NBA history heavily favors Miami. No team has ever come back from down 0-3. Given the apparent disconnect between Boston's players and its head coach, odds are this Celtics team won't break the mold.