“We play basketball knowing that we always have a chance,” Jimmy Butler says he knew the Miami Heat were going to be this good in the playoffs

The Miami Heat may have finished in eighth position in the Eastern Conference but Jimmy Butler has revealed that he was always confident that they will be alright when they will face higher-ranked teams. He pointed out the chemistry and the cohesion that they have in this team which makes it different from others.

He made sure that this faith in this team was backed by performances and not by just words. The Heat have taken out favourites Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and they also got the better of the New York Knicks. Butler and his men are now facing the Boston Celtics in the Conference Finals and have already won Game 1 to take the early advantage.

They had a very below-average regular season but they switched on once they defeated the Chicago Bulls in the play-in tournament.

After Heat’s Game 1 win at Boston, Butler was asked if he knew that the team would be this good after an underwhelming regular season. “Damn right, I did. Damn right, we did. And the best part about it is we still don’t care what none of y’all think. Honestly speaking, we don’t care if you pick us to win. We never have, we never will. We know the group of guys we have in this locker room,” Jimmy Butler stated confidently in front o the media.

He went on to explain his statement as he pointed out how the circle is small but it is a tightly knit unit. He highlighted how each person cares for each other in this team making their chemistry and cohesion just right. “Our circle is small but this circle got so much love for one another, we pumped. Constant confidence in everybody. We go out there and we hoop. We play basketball the right way knowing that we always got a chance,” he added.

It was another Butler masterclass in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals as he dropped 35 points, seven assists and five boards. Apart from him, the Heat had many contributors which also created a difference between the two teams. Jayson Tatum got a 30-point game with seven rebounds and a solitary assist but it was not enough as the Celtics lost 116-123 at home.