For a second consecutive year, Jimmy Butler is confident that he and the Miami Heat can eliminate the New York Knicks. But that “can” is a “could have” with only one party’s championship hopes still alive.
Butler and the Heat were eliminated in five games in a first-round series against the Boston Celtics. He was sidelined for its entirety with a right MCL sprain suffered on April 17.
But in a viral video released on Twitter, the 6-time All-Star says if he was healthy, Miami’s fate would be different.
As would the Knicks’.
“Video this,” Butler pleaded in the May 4 video. “1-2-3 action. If I was playing, Boston would be at home, New York (expletive) sure would be at home.”
He also had words for Josh Hart, and Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Butler Calls out Hart, Thibodeau
Butler followed that up with some additional shade when asked about Josh Hart.
“What’s that mean to me?” Butler responded. “Josh Hart? Come on man.”
The two forwards have a complex history, after Butler was injured in a collision with Hart in Game 2 of last year’s second round.
Butler also took a moment to call out his former Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves head coach, Tom Thibodeau.
“I love Thibs but I don’t want Thibs,” Butler continued. “Thibs, I love you baby! I wanna beat you, to a pulp. You want me, I don’t want you. It’s like a one-sided relationship, you in love with me. And I love you, but I’m not in love with you. You know what I’m saying?”
Miami won the 2023, second-round series in Game 6 last year, ending the Knicks’ season.
But as much as Jimmy Butler would like to do the same in 2024, the reality is in the video. Neither he or the Miami Heat are scheduled to play basketball any time soon.
And the New York Knicks are scheduled for a semifinals matchup with the Indiana Pacers.
11 Experts Take Knicks Over Pacers
In a May 4 column for ESPN, a number of staff members were asked to make a prediction for every second-round matchup.
All 11 members predicted the Knicks to win their series against the Pacers.
Only two among them, Israel Gutierrez and Ohm Youngmisuk had the series going 7 games.
But on the other hand, none of the ESPN experts had New York capable of completing the second-round sweep.
There are three predictions for a five-game series victory, and six predictions for a six-game Knicks’ win.
New York opened as a strong favorite against Indiana, with -245 odds on DraftKings.
The regular-series favored the Pacers, who won two of three games against the Knicks.
But all three of those games came without OG Anunoby suiting up. New York is 24-5 all-time when the defensive star plays.
Anunoby will play an important role as the “Pascal Siakam stopper.”
Indiana’s starting power forward is averaging 22.3 points per game on an efficient 55-percent shooting from the field. Trust that Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks will deploy Anunoby on Siakam from jump.
And after locking down Tyrese Maxey in an elimination Game 6, look for Donte DiVincenzo to draw the Tyrese Haliburton matchup.
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