STEELING THE HEAT
Setbacks have made the Eastern Conference champions closer, tougher and difficult to beat
One year ago, Jimmy Butler spoke after losing to the Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. Solemn and measured, he told reporters, “We had enough. Next year, we will have enough, and we’re going to be right back in the same situation, and we’re going to get it done.”
With most players, it’s bloviating.
Not with Butler. With him, it’s prophetic. You can’t dismiss what he says.
One year to the date, the Heat were in the same situation — Game 7 against the Celtics in the conference finals — and Butler and his teammates got it done, beating Boston 103-84 on Monday in an almost unimaginable way.
The Heat blew a 3-0 series lead, losing Game 6 at the buzzer at home and with all the momentum in the Celtics’ favor as they tried to become the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-0 deficit and win a series. But the Heat went to Boston and closed out the series with a rout.
Almost unimaginable. Except to the Heat. They believe anything is possible, including winning the NBA Finals against the Nuggets.
‘‘You have to have a guy that you can hold on to, particularly in those moments of truth,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Butler. ‘‘I’ve said this before, there’s no way to quantify the confidence that he can instill in everybody.’’
Even after that agonizing defeat on Saturday, Butler reiterated: “We can do it. I know that we will do it."
Spoelstra was equally adamant after the Game 6 loss.
‘‘I don’t know how we’re going to get this done, but we’re going up there and getting it done,” he said.
Any other team, coach or player would say, “No way.” But with the Heat, Spoelstra and Butler, you have to leave room for the possibility. Spoelstra embraces these challenges and finds meaning in competition. Yes, it’s a game, but life lessons are embedded in the wins and losses.
“Life is hard. Professional sports is just kind of a reflection sometimes of life, that things don’t always go your way,” he said.
“The inevitable setbacks happen, and it’s how you deal with that collectively. There’s a lot of different ways that it can go. It can sap your spirit. It can take a team down for whatever reason. With this group, it has steeled us and made us closer and made us tougher.”
Don’t forget, the Heat were the No. 8 seed. They had a 44-38 record and lost to the Hawks in the first play-in game. Miami had to beat the Bulls in the second playin game just to reach the playoffs and a first-round matchup against the top-seeded Bucks. The Heat beat the Bucks in five games, then the Knicks in six and now the Celtics in seven.
No. 8 seeds don’t get to the Finals. They lose in the first round. Only one other eighth seed has made it to the Finals. But the Heat aren’t your typical No. 8 seed.
I’ve grown to roll my eyes at the use of the word “culture” when it comes to sports. If a team wins, its culture is good. If a team is losing, the culture is bad. There’s too much coming and going to establish meaningful culture.
Except in Miami, the culture is there, win or lose. The way Miami conducts its business is different. It’s a stable franchise that doesn’t have a revolving door of coaches and top front-office executives.
Team president Pat Riley has been with the Heat since 1995, senior vice president of basketball operations Andy Elisburg joined the franchise in 1988, vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager Adam Simon started as an intern in 1995 and Spoelstra began his Heat career in the video room in 1995 before becoming the head coach in 2008.
In 15 seasons, Spoelstra has made the playoffs 12 times, winning titles in 2012 and 2013 with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He also reached the Finals in the 2020 Orlando bubble with Butler.
Riley, Butler and Spoelstra share the same mentality.
“I just know why coach Pat and coach Spo wanted me to be here, and that’s to compete at a high level and to win championships,” Butler said.
Butler wasn’t perfect in Game 7. He shot only 12-for-28 from the field, but his 28 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals mattered.
‘‘I’m just confident,’’ he said. ‘‘I know the work that we all put into it, so I know what we’re capable of. Nobody is satisfied. We haven’t done anything. We don’t play just to win the Eastern Conference. We play to win the whole thing.’’
If you didn’t before, believe Butler when he speaks.