No lead is safe in the NBA, especially if a team has its back against the wall in the playoffs. Thatās pretty clear for the Miami Heat now after dropping Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Boston Celtics last night.
The Miami Heat led by as many as 13 points early in thegame and had a 7-point lead at half-time. Then, Brad Stevensā team stormed back with authority, scoring 41 points and allowing just 25 in the third quarter to take the lead for good.
The Boston Celtics ended up winning 121-108 behind a majestic performance by 22-year-old standout Jayson Tatum, who scored 31 points with 10 rebounds, 6 dimes, and 3 three-pointers. For the Heat, Goran Dragic scored 23 with 4 boards and 4 assists, while Jimmy Butler chipped in with 17, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in 5/11 shooting.
Jimmy Butler Says The Boston Celtics Played Harder Than The Miami Heat
However, the Heatās loss went far beyond the stat sheet. According to Butler, it was a matter of attitude, as he claimed the Celtics were just hungrier, more aggressive, and playing harder than them:
āThey were playing harder than we were, which we all knew. Weāve just got to correct that. Thatās where it starts for us. Any time anybody is playing harder than we are, we are not playing our best basketball. I think a lot of it for us comes from how hard we play, how together we play, and weāve got to get back to doing that,ā Butler told USA Today Sports.
You should never allow a team like the Boston Celtics back in the series. You must go for the neck when theyāre down, and the Heat will now have to be flawless in Game 6 if they donāt want to be like the Los Angeles Clippers or Utah Jazz, which blew 3-1 leads in this yearās playoffs.
