As the lights of Game 7 were bright on Monday night in Beantown, Caleb Martin didn’t shy away from the perfect opportunity to perform.
For Jimmy Butler, what the undrafted swingman delivered to help the Miami Heat advance to the NBA Finals isn’t that new to them.
“No, that might have surprised y’all to the untrained eye,” Butler said of Martin. “He just looks like he’s an undrafted guy who’s been in G League, who started in Charlotte and now he’s started on two-way contract. To y’all that’s what it looks like.
“To us, he’s hell of a player, hell of a defender, playmaker, shot maker, all of the above. Everybody’s seeing Caleb work on those shots day in and day out so it doesn’t surprise us. We’ve seen it every single day, and I’m so proud and happy for him. He’s going to even be even better in next round and I don’t think he’s going to surprise anybody else any longer.”
Martin came up big for the game of his life as he drained 26 points in 11-of-16 shooting to go with 10 boards and three assists. His sizzling performance in the third frame allowed Miami to continue gripping their lead as the C’s were trying to make a comeback.
As he and the Heat are just four wins away from the ultimate prize, Martin is confident that he’ll be able to sustain his red-hot performances this storied postseason for the franchise.
“I just felt like I’ve continuously prepping and getting ready for these moments, and when these moments come, I’m ready for them,” he said. “I felt like I’m built for these type of moments and I’m just going to continue to try get better.”
