Heat Forces Game 7 vs. Celtics But NBA Slaps Miami With $25,000 Fine

(Photo : Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
The Miami Heat keeps their chances of winning the Eastern Conference championship alive by beating the Boston Celtics 111-103 inside the TD Garden Friday, forcing a Game 7.

The Miami Heat keeps their chances of winning the Eastern Conference championship alive by beating the Boston Celtics 111-103 inside the TD Garden Friday, forcing a Game 7.

Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 47 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and four steals, shooting 16-of-29 from the floor and 4-of-8 from beyond the 3-point line.

The Heat Superstar's performance was also a career milestone for becoming the only player in NBA Playoff history to have such a stat line on 50% or better shooting, according to Stathead. His 47 points in an elimination game were also the most in Miami Heat's playoff history, according to a report from SB Nation.

Butler's Bold Game 7 Prediction

As the series moves back to Miami, per Sports Illustrated, Jimmy Butler made a big prediction in the postgame interview: "We knew we were going to win this one. And we're going to win the next one too."

Kyle Lowry, who had zero points in Game 5, added 18 points on 5-of-14 shooting with four three-pointers, 10 assists, four rebounds, one steal, and one block.

"Kyle, how would you describe Jimmy's game?"

Kyle: "It's fucking incredible!"

LMAOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/dMGa8LsT1g
— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) May 28, 2022

Max Strus broke out of his shooting slump with 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting and three triples (on eight attempts).

P.J. Tucker finished with 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting, five rebounds, one assist, and two steals; Bam Adebayo only scored six points but was his normal effective self on defense, grabbing nine boards, one steal, and a team-high plus-12 in the plus-minus column.

Miami hit 46.2 % from the field and 42.9 % from beyond the arc, making 15 of 35 three-point attempts after shooting 25.9% in the previous two games.

Boston made 44.4 % of its shots, including 33.3 % of 3-point tries, and went 28-of-31 at the line.

Tatum led the Celtics with 30 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including four three-pointers, as well as nine rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block.

Jaylen Brown had 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting with six rebounds, five assists, and three steals; Derrick White had 22 points in 33 minutes off the bench with a series-high four 3-pointers; Marcus Smart had 14 points in 26 minutes, and Robert Williams had 12 points in 26 minutes.

Miami Heat Fined for Bench Decorum Violation

Though, Miami was penalized by the NBA with a fine of $25,000 for a violation of bench decorum. Per CBS Sports, the team's offense resulted from bench players standing too close to the court throughout the contest.

NBA League Operations President Byron Spruell announced the penalty on Saturday.

"On multiple occasions, several players stood for an extended period in Miami's team bench area, stood away from the team bench, and were on, encroaching upon, or entering the playing court during live game action in the Heat's 111-103 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 27 at TD Garden," the league's statement reads.

It was the Heat's first fine for violating bench decorum this postseason. However, the NBA said, "if they get any more the amount of the fine will likely increase, as was the case with the Mavericks."

During their playoff run, the Dallas Mavericks were penalized thrice for breaching the NBA's bench decorum rules.

"The Mavs were first hit with a $25,000 fine, and then they were hit with a $50,000 fine for the second infraction. The third time they were fined, it was for $100,000. Thus, their total fines for the postseason for violating the league's decorum rules was $175,000," according to the statement.