Jimmy Butler says the Miami Heat will win Game 2 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
If the Miami Heat are going to pull off an unlikely Game 2 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, they’re going to need a whole lot of confidence and even more luck.
Fortunately for them, Jimmy Butler is exuding a ton of the former going into Friday night’s NBA Finals tilt.
“Coming into Game 2. All the adversity, backs against the wall, yada, yada, yada,” Butler said. “We’re gonna win.
Don’t worry, Old Takes Exposed has already been notified.
Jimmy Butler is going to have to drag the Heat to victory in Game 2
Why is Butler’s statement so bold? Because the Heat are missing two of their best players. So Butler is going to have to pull this off by himself.
Point guard Goran Dragic suffered a torn plantar fascia in the second quarter of Miami’s Game 1 loss and has been ruled out for Friday. Forward Bam Adebayo won’t play either with a shoulder injury he sustained in the opening game of the Finals.
The Lakers are a 10-point favorite over Miami for good reason.
You’ve got to hand it to Butler, he’s not backing down from the challenge, even if it appears impossible. His efforts, including 23 points and five assists, weren’t enough to prevent a blowout on Wednesday. He’ll need as much motivation internally and externally as possible to raise his game to the level needed.
It’s not just about what Butler can do. It’s about what the Lakers are capable of. With no Adebayo, keeping Anthony Davis in check will be a problem. LA’s big man had 34 points in Game 1.
Stopping LeBron James from taking over is a whole other conundrum. He scored 25 points with 13 rebounds and nine assists.
Then again, it’s 2020. Literally anything could happen.