Pat Riley was not amused by Jimmy Butler’s recent assertion that the Heat would have beaten the Celtics or the Knicks in the NBA playoffs had he been healthy.The Heat lost the first-round series in five games — beaten handily in the four defeats — and Riley, the team’s president, was not in a laughing mood about the star’s comments during a press conference.“For him to say that, I thought, is that Jimmy trolling or is that Jimmy [being] serious?” Riley asked.“If you’re not on the court, playing against Boston, or you’re not on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut in your criticism of those teams.”“If I was playing, Boston would be at home, New York damn sure would be f–king at home. Josh Hart? C’mon man,” he said in a social media video.Butler also said he loved Tom Thibodeau but wants to “beat [him] to a pulp,” a phrase Thibodeau used back at him in response on Sunday.While Riley initially said that Butler would not be traded this offseason — with rumours trickling out after the Heat were eliminated — he left the door open a smidge.“There’s a possibility that a lot of things are on the table,” Riley said.The Heat reached the NBA Finals last season, but could not mount a similar run out of the NBA play-in tournament this year.HEATED Pat Bev pegs ball at Pacers fan | 00:40Riley was asked if the 34-year-old Butler is still a top-tier player.“Yes. But just like anyone else, he may need to make some changes in his overload routine,” Riley answered.Butler also missed 22 games during the regular season, and it was clear based on the tenor of Riley’s press conference that he believed Butler could have competed some more.“If he requests [an extension[ we can either accept or we can say ‘we’re gonna think about it,” Riley said.“That’s a big decision on our part, to commit those kinds of resources, unless you’re somebody who’s going to be there every time.”This article first appeared on The New York Postand was reproduced with permission.BASKETBALLHistoric NBA playoffs collapse ends Orlando’s season as Cleveland clinch seriesCavs comeback crushes Magic’s NBA run |Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers silenced the young guns of Orlando, beating the Magic 106-94 in game seven of their NBA playoffs first-round series to book a meeting with Eastern Conference top seeds Boston.It was another magisterial performance from Mitchell, who scored 39 points two days after pouring in 50 in the Cavs’ game six defeat.This time he had plenty of scoring support from teammates as the Cavs erased an 18-point second-quarter deficit to clinch a series in which the home team won every game.Caris LeVert scored 15 points off the bench and Max Strus scored 11 of his 13 points in the third quarter, when the Cavs out-scored the Magic 33-15 to take charge.Watch the best of the NBA Conference Semi Finals LIVE on ESPN, available via Kayo. New to Kayo? Evan Mobley scored 11 points with 16 rebounds and five blocked shots to help Cleveland withstand a 38-point performance from Paolo Banchero.The Cavs, with starting center Jarrett Allen sidelined a third straight game with bruised ribs, moved on to the second round a year after a stinging first-round loss to the New York Knicks.“I didn’t want to go home,” Mitchell said of the mindset that saw him score 17 points in the third quarter as he virtually willed Cleveland to the lead.The Magic delivered a strong first punch, Banchero scoring 10 points in the first period as Orlando grabbed a 24-18.In the face of Orlando’s suffocating defense the Cavs connected on just six of 22 shots in the first quarter and didn’t make a three-pointer until Sam Merrill drilled one midway through the second quarter.The Magic pushed their lead to as many as 18 points in the second quarter before the Cavs clawed back to cut the lead to single digits.Banchero’s layup in the closing seconds of the first half saw Orlando take a 10-point lead into the break, but momentum was on Cleveland’s side and they overwhelmed the Magic in the third.Mitchell, relentless in the paint, tied it at 64-64 with a floater and LeVert drained a pair of free throws to give the Cavs their first lead since the first quarter.Struggled hit back-to-back three-pointers as Cleveland built a 76-68 lead going into the final period.The Cavs pushed their advantage to 14 points in the final frame, fans chanting “We want the Celtics” as the final minutes ticked off.It was a crushing end to a strong season for the Magic, collectively the second-youngest team in the playoffs behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.Wendell Carter Jr. scored 13 points and Jalen Suggs added 10 for the Magic, but Franz Wagner was held to just six as Orlando remained in search of a first playoff series victory since 2010.Superstar explodes for career-best 43 points as reigning champs stunned in NBA playoff boilover
