Jimmy Butler on Heat vs. Celtics: ‘We’re not underdogs’

The Heat (+120) are underdogs against the Celtics (-139) in the Eastern Conference finals. Odds provided by our partner, PointsBet.

Heat star Jimmy Butler, via Nick Friedell of ESPN:

“We don’t really use ‘underdog,’” Butler said after Saturday’s practice. “We may say that we have a chip on our shoulder, but I don’t think that we’re the underdog. I think that we’re a really good team. We play together. Everybody knows their role. We just compete.

”... I think we’re supposed to be here. That’s how we think of it. To me, to us, that’s all that matters. We’re not underdogs. We’re competitors.”

“We all think that we’re the better team,” Butler said. “We all think that we’re supposed to be here. And that’s the way that I think. ... I love the way that our guys think like that as well, because I think confidence and your mental [approach] is the majority of this thing.

Miami acquired Butler to instill this attitude, and it’s

paying off.

Boston was better than the Heat during the regular season. But neither team has solidified itself as clear favorite:

Third-seeded Celtics vs. fifth-seeded Heat is the first Eastern Conference finals that included neither a No. 1 nor No. 2 seed.

— Dan Feldman (@DanFeldmanNBA) September 15, 2020

Butler has grown confident as he keeps beating the odds. That’s not changing now.