Jimmy Butler scores 27, Miami beats Boston 111-105 to take 2-0 lead

BOSTON (AP)— Jimmy Butler went forehead-to-forehead with the Boston Celtics,and the Heat are heading back to Miami with an opportunity toadvance to the NBA Finals.

Butlerscored 27 points, hitting back-to-back buckets to tie the game andgive Miami the lead, and the eighth-seeded Heat left Boston with a111-105 victory Friday night and a 2-0 lead in the EasternConference finals.

Butler alsoprovided eight rebounds, six assists and an emotional spark afterBoston’s Grant Williams started jawing with him: Butler stared downWilliams, with both players drawing technical fouls for the doublehead-butt.

Then “JimmyBuckets” scored and scored some more — nine points in all during a23-9 run that turned a nine-point deficit into a 105-100 lead.

“I knewthat was going to be good for us,” said Caleb Martin, who came offthe bench to score 25 points. “We’ll take mad Jimmy at any time.You could kind of see it in his eyes he was ready to go afterthat.”

Bam Adebayohad 22 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists for Miami, whichreturns home with a chance to sweep and become just the second No.8 seed to reach the NBA Finals.

Game 3 isSunday night.

“He’s goingto have to make every single tough shot the rest of the series,”Williams said. “And I’m not going to turn and look otherwisebecause I respect him as an (expletive) player.”

JaysonTatum had 34 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for Boston. Butthe Celtics star went 0 for 3 with two turnovers in the fourthquarter, when Boston blew an 89-77 lead en route to a second homeloss in three nights.

Afterfinishing 13 games ahead of the Heat in the regular-season -- andthen watching top-seeded Milwaukee fall to Miami in the first round-- the Celtics have stumbled on what appeared to be a clear path totheir second straight NBA Finals.

“It’stough. It’s a challenge. But there’s no point being up here sad and(stuff),” Tatum said. “They came in and won two games. They playedwell; you give them credit. But we’re not dead or anything. We’vegot a great opportunity. I still have the utmost confidence.Everybody has the utmost confidence. We’ve just got to get readyfor Game 3.”

JaylenBrown scored 16 points on 7-for-23 shooting; he went 1 for 5 with aturnover in the final quarter, when Miami outscored Boston36-22.

“We’ve gotsome dogs, and I love it. I love every bit of it,” Butler said onthe postgame TV broadcast. “Guys never quit. We never give up. Welove playing with one another. We’ve got so much faith and trust inone another.”

The Celticsled by 11 in the third quarter and made it a dozen early in thefourth. Williams made a 3-pointer to make it 96-87 and was talkingto Butler on the way back down the court. Butler scored at theother end and was fouled by Williams; the two players leaned intoeach other — drawing double technicals — before Butler hit theensuing free throw.

“Somehealthy competition. I ain’t going to lie to you. Healthycompetition. And I love it. I’m always here to compete. I like totalk, at times,” Butler said. “As long as we get the win, I’m goodwith it.”

Asked ifBoston “poked the bear” by getting Butler angry, Brown said, “Nextquestion.” But Butler said there was no doubt that the attempt toget him off his game actually fired him up.

“Yes itdid,” Butler said. “But that’s just competition at its finest. Hehit a big shot and started talking to me. But I like that. It’sjust competition. It pushes that will to win. It makes me smile.... I just don’t know if I was the best person to talk to.”

After Tatummissed from long distance — one of three missed 3s in the fourthquarter — Butler drove to the basket to make it a four-point Bostonlead. Miami trailed 98-96 when Butler was called for an offensivefoul, kicking Marcus Smart after landing on a missed 3-pointer.

Heat coachErik Spoelstra challenged, but lost.

Butlerresponded.

He made a17-footer to tie it 100-all, and then a short fadeaway to giveMiami the lead. After Max Strus made one of two free throws,Adebayo scored on a putback dunk to make it 105-100 with less thana minute to play.

“I lovethat gnarly version of Jimmy,” Spoelstra said. “But you get thatregardless. I think now people are just paying more attention. ...Jimmy is just a real competitor.”

Boston useda 21-2 run to turn an eight-point, first-quarter deficit into an11-point lead.

TIP-INS

Brown was 1for 7 in the first quarter, when Tatum scored 12. Derrick White,who made a single 3-pointer, was the only player other than Tatumwho scored more than 2 points in the first. … Adebayo and Butlereach grabbed five rebounds in the first quarter. … Lowry and GrantWilliams did a little shoving after Williams fouled Adebayo withnine minutes left in the second quarter, with no repercussions.