After the Boston Celtics blowout victory, Marcus Smart praised Jimmy Butler for his performance and demeanor on the court. Butler carried the Heat to the win in Game 1 scoring 40 points, while head had 32 points in Game 2.
However, the Heat were outplayed by the Celtics Thursday night. Marcus Smart and Al Horford re-entered the starting lineup and Boston was dominant through 44 minutes in Miami.
“Jimmy is a warrior, man,” Smart told reporters. “Jimmy has been doing this for a long time. He understands the game. He understands his strengths. He understands his team’s strengths.
So, when you have a guy who has an IQ like Jimmy, it’s always going to be a tough matchup.”
Smart was the primary defender on Butler, who scored 40+ points three times this postseason carrying the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals. Smart has been named the Defensive Player of the Year this season.
“For me my assignment was just to make everything tough for him. We knew he was going to hit some shots. If he did, he had to work for them. That’s just where I came in.”
As a result, Smart succumbed Butler to four misses in the four attempts he took with the Celtics’ guard as the primary defender. Butler fought hard and tried to will Miami back in the second half, but his 16 third-quarter points were not enough.
“He’s key to what they do over there on both sides of the floor. For sure, when he’s making shots,” Butler said on Smart’s play.
“But, as a defensive player of the year night in-night out taking the matchup and being able to play on both sides of the ball. That’s crucial for them”.
The two will face each other again on Saturday in the crucial Gm 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
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