Butler did it all for Heat
Forward continues to show he thrives under pressure
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Jimmy Butler scored and rebounded. He zipped no-look passes and threw himself into thickets of defenders. He barked at the most famous player in theworld and hauled the Miami Heat back from the brink. The only thing Butler did not do Sunday night was set up a pop-up stand at midcourt and sell more of his $20 cups of coffee.
“He’s a supreme, elite competitor, and we needed it,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Therewas a time— in the hours leading up to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, to be precise — when many members of the basket ballwatching public questioned whether the Heat could make their series with the Los Angeles Lakers competitive. Miami had lost the first two games and two of its three best players to injury. And lest anyone forget: Butler had rolled his left ankle inGame1. It was as if the Heat had been left to fight for a championship while riding a unicycle with a flat tire.
But for whatever reason, Butler thrives under duress — and he was special for the Heat in their 115-104 victory over the Lakers on Sunday. So much of what Butler does is hard to define or quantify, but he provided very large numbers on this occasion: 40 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds while shooting 14- of-20 from the field.
There was another statistic that stood out: Butler did not try a single 3-pointer. By comparison, the Lakers shot 42 of them. In an era when long-range shooting has never been more valued or celebrated, Butler, a 6-7 forward, ventured into the paint, again and again, to grind for layups, to absorb contact, to draw defenders and to pass to open teammates.
Butler’s approach seemed like a tangible manifestation of his personality. He does not back down. He does not budge. And while few gave the Heat much of a chance against the Lakers, especially without Bam Adebayo (neck) and Goran Dragic (foot), both of whom were sidelined for the second straight game, Butler refused to listen.
“I think guys are starting to realize how much we belong on this stage and that we’re in the Finals for a reason,” Butler said.
He even reserved a portion of the postgame news conference to pump up his teammate Duncan Robinson, a forward who has struggled with his outside shooting.
“He’s going to be a reason that we win one of these games,” Butler said. “He’s going to hit six, seven 3s, and I’m going to jump up and down, and I’m going to give himabig hug, maybe a slight kiss on the back of his head, because I know how important that guy is to our team.”
Before Game 4 on Tuesday night, the Lakers have work of their own. They were lackluster from the early stages of Game 3. They dribbled and passed as if the ball were coated in cooking oil, committing 10 turnovers in the first quarter alone. Still, the Heat led by only 3 — and that was when Butler and the Lakers’ LeBron James began exchanging words.
“Love it,” James said, adding of Butler: “One of the best competitors we have in our game.”