Heat survive Butler’s departure to defeat Celtics in Game 3

BOSTON – The Miami Heat took their Game 2 loss to the Boston Celtics personally.

That was the message that came out of the Heat’s locker room after a 109-103 win Saturday night that gave them a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

After being overpowered during a lackluster performance in Game 2 in which the group never found its rhythm on either end of the floor, the Heat entered Saturday’s game with the kind of advantage on both ends of the floor that has Define your season.

“They beat us like we stole something in Game 2,” the Heat center said, Bam Adebayo. “So that sparked a fire in all of us.”

After struggling to find a rhythm in the first two games of the series, Adebayo played one of the best games of his career in Game 3 with 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and one block in 42 minutes while shooting 15-22. from the field.

That Adebayo was able to lead the Heat to victory even after the star forward Jimmy Butler having to leave the game at halftime due to inflammation in his right knee made it all the more impressive.

Butler has been dealing with the same knee issue since he was first injured in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Atlanta Hawks and missed the series-clinching Game 5. After missing the entire second half on Saturday, he was seen waving to his teammates in the locker room as they walked off the court at TD Garden.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Butler would not need another MRI on his knee, but his status for Game 4 on Monday night remains unclear.

“He didn’t have his normal explosive stride,” Spoelstra said of Butler. “He’s been able to handle this. I think the next two days are going to be very important, obviously.”

“Really, at halftime, the coaches made the decision. I feel like we’ve been in this situation a lot with some of our guys. We almost have to contain them. We get it and we love that about them, how they’re connected. But we also don’t want to be irresponsible.”

As has become customary during Spoelstra’s time in Miami, the rest of the Heat roster was able to step up and pick up the slack. Kyle Lowrywho had not played since re-injuring his left hamstring in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on May 8, he contributed 11 points and six assists while providing consistent veteran on the defensive end.

The Heat walked out of the TD Garden beaming because they knew they had found a way to win under adverse circumstances and gave the Celtics the kind of blow many weren’t expecting after demolishing Boston in Game 2.

“They were like a wounded animal,” said the Celtics center, Al Horford. “They came out fighting. For some reason, we just didn’t have the same sense of urgency.”

Now, as the Heat wait to see how Butler’s knee responds to treatment, they do so knowing they will return to Miami with, at worst, a 2-2 tie in the series.

“Whatever happens, at the end of the day, if you put your heart out and play hard, you have to be happy and live with the results,” Lowry said. “And that’s what we do”.