Joe Mazzulla has been criticized for not calling timeouts this playoffs. Jimmy Butler decided to do it for him.
After Gabe Vincent drilled a pull-up three to cap an 8-0 run and give Miami a 23-point lead, Butler moon-walked back firing fingers gun, knelt and called timeout on the Celtics' behalf.
Jimmy Butler calls a timeout for the Celtics.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 22, 2023
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Mazzulla did call a timeout with the score 83-56. During Game 1, Mazzulla declined to call timeout at any point during the Heat's 46-point third quarter but defended his timeout usage later, explaining, "I called two in the first quarter."
Butler was referencing a different moment from Game 1, when Boston's Al Horford made a three and squatted to call a timeout for Miami.
Al Horford pops a squat and tells the Heat the take a timeout after hitting the triple to put the Celtics up 8 pic.twitter.com/zUmKCBG5NY
— hoops bot (@hoops_bot) May 18, 2023
Horford followed up his celebration by missing his next six three-pointers in Game 1 and Game 2, so karma bit him immediately. Butler didn't forget, waiting until the most painful moment to throw the celebration back in his face. As Grant Williams could have told him, bad things happen when you anger Butler.
Jimmy Butler and Grant Williams.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 20, 2023
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Boston led by seven when Williams got in Butler's face. Miami went on a 16-4 run, with Butler scoring seven points in the run. Ultimately, firing up Butler is the only thing Boston has succeeded at in the conference finals so far.
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