Getty Jaylen Brown and Derrick White of the Boston Celtics celebrate their team's buzzer-beating win over the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
For the first time in two decades, a team that found itself in a 3-0 hole during an NBA playoff series has forced a Game 7; a monumental achievement by just about any standard. Don’t tell that to Miami Heat fans, though, as their squad allowed it to happen with a heartbreaking Game 6 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday.
Three made free throws off the hands of Heat star Jimmy Butler had given the ballers of Biscayne a one-point advantage at 103-102 with just three seconds remaining on the game clock. However, on the ensuing possession, a missed Marcus Smart jumper was quickly corraled and tipped back through the net by Celtics guard Derrick White.
Consequently, the Beantowners were able to knot the best-of-seven series with a 104-103 win at Kaseya Center. However, not everyone got the memo on the game’s result right away.
In a TikTok video (embedded below) that’s currently making the rounds all over social media, a wedding party full of Heat fans was documented in full celebration mode after what the attendees thought was their team clinching a Finals berth after Smart’s misfire.
Heat Fans’ Premature Victory Celebration Goes Viral
The video, which has been reuploaded and aggregated on a myriad of platforms, was originally put up by TikTok user @corygarrastazu.
In the clip, wedding guests can be seen huddled around smartphones as the Celtics looked to inbound the ball for their final possession. As soon as Smart’s shot clanged off the iron, the crowd more or less went bananas. People were yelling and jumping up and down, a woman who appeared to be the bride waved one large Heat flag while two men ran around the dance floor with a second one; a “Let’s go Heat!” chant broke out, too.
During the video’s waning seconds, though, you can see a small group of people who are still peering down at a phone begin to realize what had truly happened. It’s devastating and hilarious all at once, and the wedding attendees got lit up in the comments for it.
“Never wanted a part 2 more in my life,” wrote one respondent.
“Heat fans always premature on their Gm 6s lol,” chided another commenter.
“Yeah… this marriage got no shot after this,” joked a third fan.
‘Playoff Jimmy’ Looks to Have Left the Building
In recent years, Butler has established a reputation as one of the best postseason players in the Association, and his brilliance has been on full display at various times during Miami’s current playoff run. More recently, though, the baller has left the South Beach faithful wishing for more.
Over his first 12 appearances of the 2023 playoffs — a span that includes the first two games of the current Eastern Conference Finals series — Butler averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.2 steals per contest while shooting 51.8% from the field and 36.6% from three-point range.
In the four games that have happened since then, Butler’s scoring has dropped all the way down to 20.8 PPG on 36.9% shooting overall and 27.3% from deep. Meanwhile, the Heat are minus-20 when he has been on the floor during that stretch, which is the worst mark teamwide.