Heat close in
Jimmy Butler’s big night helps Heat cut Lakers’ Finals lead to 2-1
BLAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. iggest moment of his career. Best game of his life.
Jimmy Butler is clearly not ready to go home quite yet. With a triple-double, he joined NBA Finals lore — and the short-handed Miami Heat might have made this title matchup a series after all.
Butler finished with 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, and the Heat beat the Los Angeles Lakers 115-104 on Sunday night to get within 2-1 — doing so with starters Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic still unable to play because of injury.
“I tell Coach all the time, ‘’I’m ready for this,’” Butler said. “The biggest stage, whatever you ask me to do, I can do.”
His coach, Erik Spoelstra, has clearly listened.
“This is what he wanted, this is what we wanted,” Spoelstra said. “It’s really hard to analyze or describe Jimmy until you actually feel him between the four lines. He’s a supreme, elite competitor and we needed it.”
It was the third 40-point triple-double in finals history. Butler was 14 for 20 from the field and, after the Heat surrendered a double-digit lead early in the fourth, he made sure this one wouldn’t get away.
“He’s one of the best competitors we have in our game,” the Lakers’ LeBron James said. “Love that opportunity. For me, personally, I don’t know how many more opportunities I’m going to have so to be able to go against a fierce competitor like that is something I’ll look back on when I’m done playing. I’ll miss those moments.”
James had 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers, while Kyle Kuzma and Markieff Morris each had 19 points off the bench. Anthony Davis managed 15 for the Lakers.
Game 4 is Tuesday night. Tyler Herro and Kelly Olynyk each had 17 points for Miami,
“We had players step up this whole playoffs, and it’s no different now for us,” Crowder said.
Miami’s starters outscored the Lakers’ starting five 89-51, and the Heat held the Lakers to a 14-for-42 night from 3-point land.
James, who won two titles with the Heat, wasn’t in the least bit surprised that Miami showed up to fight.
“I know how resilient that bunch is and how resilient that coaching staff is and their franchise,” James said.