Jimmy Butler's 47-point Game 6 (2022 ECF)

In Game 6 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals, played May 27, 2022, Jimmy Butler produced a 47-point performance that lifted the Miami Heat past the Boston Celtics and forced a Game 7 in the series [6][7]. Facing elimination on Boston's home floor, Butler's scoring output included a sustained late-game offensive push that overcame Boston's defense and erased a Celtics lead late in the fourth quarter, allowing Miami to extend the series to a winner-take-all Game 7 in Miami [6][7]. The stat line—47 points—was widely reported by game recaps and is cited as one of Butler's most prominent playoff games [6][7]. The win in Game 6 prevented Boston from closing the series at home and shifted the immediate competitive context to Miami for Game 7, where the Celtics would later prevail [6][7]. Contemporary reporting emphasized Butler's aggressiveness in isolation and his ability to create shot opportunities against Boston's rotation throughout the game [6][7].

Butler's 47-point Game 6 matters because it represents an individual performance that changed the short-term outcome of the series by forcing a Game 7 and because it entered the rivalry's highlight reel as a late-series, elimination-staving effort [6][7]. The game is often referenced when discussing Butler's playoff toughness and Miami's resilience in the 2022 postseason against the Celtics.

The immediate consequence was a Game 7 in Miami two days later, where the Celtics secured the series victory and advanced to the NBA Finals [7]. For Butler, the Game 6 performance reinforced his reputation as a player capable of elevating his play in elimination moments even when his team ultimately lost the series; for the rivalry, it added a dramatic individual highlight that commentators and fans still cite in discussions of Celtics–Heat playoff history [6][7].