May 27, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) controls the ball against the Boston Celtics during the first half in game six of the 2022 eastern conference finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
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The NBA Eastern Conference Finals are going to a Game 7, and that’s a bit of a surprise considering how things looked entering Game 6.

The Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat by 20 points in Game 4 in Boston, and then by 13 points in Game 5 in Miami. With the chance to close out the series in Game 6 at home, oddsmakers had the Celtics as 8.5-point favorites.

But the Heat looked like a very different team from the get-go in Game 6, led by their best player, Jimmy Butler.

Miami took down Boston 111-103 on Friday night in Game 6.

After combining for 27 points over Games 3, 4, and 5, Butler went off for 47 points in Game 6.

Jimmy Buckets shot 16-of-29 from the field (4-of-8 on threes) and was a perfect 11-of-11 at the charity stripe. He also pulled down nine rebounds, dished out eight assists, swiped four steals, and played a game-high 46 minutes. It was a truly remarkable performance from the six-time All-Star.

And not only did the Heat stay alive; they sent the series back to Miami. Game 7 will be on Sunday night at FTX Arena.

However, oddsmakers currently give Boston a slight edge, with the Celtics opening as 2.5-point favorites in Game 7.

The winner of Game 7 will face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. And it appears that Golden State’s Draymond Green motivated the Heat with his comments ahead of Game 6.

Here’s a look at how the NBA world has reacted to Butler’s performance and the Heat’s Game 6 win:

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About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

He can be followed on Twitter at @Matt2Clapp (also @TheBlogfines for Cubs/MLB tweets and @DaBearNecess for Bears/NFL tweets), and can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

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