Butler Steps Up With 47 Points, Heat Force Game 7 With Celtics

BOSTON (AP) — Jimmy Butler had 47 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and the Miami Heat forced the Eastern Conference finals to a decisive seventh game by beating the Boston Celtics 111-103 on Friday night. Ten years after LeBron James scored 45 points in Boston to help the Heat avoid elimination in Game 6 of the conference finals en route to the first of their back-to-back NBA titles, Butler had 17 points in the fourth quarter to top him and send the series back to Miami.  With a victory at home Sunday, the Heat would advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years. Jayson Tatum had 30 points and nine rebounds for Boston.