Heat's Jimmy Butler: Game 6 Performance vs. Celtics Inspired by Dwyane Wade Talk
May 28, 2022
Jimmy Butler credited Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade for providing motivation ahead of the team's Game 6 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday night.
Butler, who scored a game-high 47 points on the road to force a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals, discussed the message Wade gave him:
The six-time All-Star appeared severely hampered by his knee injury over the previous two games, scoring just 19 total points in back-to-back Celtics wins to take the series lead.
He returned to form Friday. Along with pouring in nearly 50 points, he recorded nine rebounds, eight assists, four steals and a block in 46 minutes to keep Miami's season alive.
"It's f--king incredible," teammate Kyle Lowry told reporters.
Wade purchased an ownership stake in the Utah Jazz last year, but he still possesses a strong connection to the franchise where he spent most of his Hall of Fame playing career.
He posted on Twitter about Butler's latest standout performance:
Now the biggest question heading toward Game 7 is what version of the 32-year-old Marquette product will show up in the decider.
Will it be the version of Butler who appeared well less than 100 percent in Games 4 and 5 or the unstoppable force from Game 6?
The answer is likely to determine which team advances to face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.