Jimmy Butler, Heat keep calm as Celtics dominate Game 5 of East finals - ESPN

BOSTON — Jimmy Butler still believes the Miami Heat are going to close out the Boston Celtics and advance to the NBA finals despite two straight losses that have cut their series lead to 3-2.

After a 110-97 Game 5 loss on Thursday night inside a raucous TD Garden, the Heat have lost by a combined 30 points over the past two potential close-out games. So why is Butler, who walked around the outside of the locker room calmly eating popcorn after the game, still so confident about his team's chances?

«Because the last two games are not who we are,» he said. «It just happened to be that way. We stopped playing defense halfway because we didn't make shots that we want to make. But that's easily correctable. You just have to come out and play harder from the jump. Like I always say, it's going to be all smiles and we are going to keep it very, very, very consistent, knowing that we are going to win next game.»

For one of the first times throughout his torrid postseason run, Butler did not live up to the sky-high standard he has set for himself over the past month, scoring 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field as the Celtics dominated from start to finish.

«Our offense was disjointed a little bit,» Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. «We weren't able to initiate our offense, get the ball where we needed it to go in spots where you could operate. If we can get Jimmy in his comfort zones and strength zones more consistently, he'll be just fine.»

That was the sentiment throughout a Heat locker room that wasn't panicking despite the fact that the No. 2 seeded Celtics are playing with a renewed sense of confidence on both ends of the floor.

«I think just give him a steady diet, and we know that he'll find it,» Heat big man Kevin