Jimmy Butler goes off vs Celtics in Game 1; NBA world reacts

The Miami Heat took down the Boston Celtics 118-107 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night in Miami.

And Heat star Jimmy Butler took things to another level to lead Miami to the Game 1 victory.

Butler — who averaged 21.4 points in the regular season — scored 41 points. He went 12-of-19 from the field, and he really cashed in at the charity stripe, making 17-of-18 free throws. Additionally, he pulled down nine rebounds, dished out five assists, swiped four steals, and blocked three shots, to go with having a game-high plus/minus of +25.

It was an all-around superb effort by the six-time All-Star.

Boston actually had a 62-54 lead at halftime, but Miami went on a 22-2 run to start the second half and outscored the Celtics 39-14 in the third quarter. After an eight-point halftime deficit, the Heat led by as many as 20 in the second half.

Now, Boston was without guard Marcus Smart (mid-foot sprain) and big man Al Horford, and the absence of those two key players certainly didn’t help things for the Celtics.

Still, the Celtics have to be kicking themselves after a blown opportunity to steal one in Miami. Boston outscored Miami in the first, second, and fourth quarters, only to lose because of a brutal third-quarter performance.

Here’s how the basketball world is reacting to Game 1:

Bam Adebayo's reaction when Tyler Herro walked in with his fit in the post-game press is priceless pic.twitter.com/TrNIZFptVz

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 18, 2022

JIMMY BUTLER IS REALLY LIKE THAT

— Joy Taylor (@JoyTaylorTalks) May 18, 2022

I'LL SAY IT AGAIN: JIMMY BUTLER IS THE BEST PLAYER LEFT IN THE PLAYOFFS … AND HE WAS EASILY THE BEST PLAYER ON THE FLOOR TONIGHT.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 18, 2022

Jimmy Butler is really a remarkable superstar and I hope he’s remembered quite fondly in the annals of NBA history

— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) May 18, 2022

Nobody’s playing better than Jimmy Butler

— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) May 18, 2022

Celtics were favored to win the series. The Heat were favored to win Game 1. The Heat won Game 1.

The Celtics are now +120 to win the series.

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) May 18, 2022

Elite teams win 3rd quarters after making halftime adjustments.

The Miami Heat have been the best 3rd quarter team in the Playoffs.

Today, they out-scored the best defense in the NBA in the third, 39-14.

Also: Jimmy Butler has been the most impactful player of this contest.

— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) May 18, 2022