Jimmy Butler willed the Heat into a Game 3 win to put them on the board 2-1 in the series against the Lakers. Despite key star players Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo out for the second straight game, the Heat were able to beat the skilled Lakers. The Heat were able to do so through great rebounding and defense that forced 19 Laker turnovers. Jimmy Buckets lived up to his name as he got a triple-double, scoring 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists playing 44 minutes. A historical game as it was only the 3rd 40-point triple-double in NBA finals history. Lakers stars Lebron James and Anthony Davis offensive production together was equivalent to that of Butler’s. They only had 25 and 15 points, respectively, only surpassing Jimmy on the boards by 4. Other Heat players Herro and Olynyk, brought key offense that helped stop the bleeding of Laker runs. Heat beat the Lakers 115-104.
The first quarter began with the two teams playing evenly on both ends of the ball. It was the Heat, however, that brought the intensity first as they got out to the early 13-point lead on the Lakers. The Lakers would not retake the lead until the 2nd quarter as they were able to rally behind some increased energy coming off from the bench. Some key plays from Butler brought the Heat back to a 5-point lead. Lebron and Morris for the Lakers brought some offensive help but turnovers, which much of the story for the Lakers woes. LA had 11 turnovers in the first half alone; that would be more than they had all of Game 2. The Heat led the Lakers 58-54 at the half, which is their first lead going into the second half in the series.
Second HalfLe
The second half started with a bang for the Heat as Duncan Robinson hit a three-point shot that extended their lead to 7. This offensive rhythm carried over into defense as the Heat did not allow the Lakers to get a bucket for five minutes. Lakers energy was also an issue as the Heat simply continued to out-hustle their opponent, getting second-chance points and key rebounds. LeBron however, would not let this play continue as he willed the Lakers to within five at the start of the fourth. The Lakers built off this momentum as they were eventually able to rally back and take the lead scoring 8 unanswered points. Three-pointers were key for the Heat as they were able to continue to fight against whatever the Lakers threw at them. It was Jimmy Butler though that sealed the deal for the Heat as he came in clutch for his team when it mattered most in the final minutes.
At the end of the game, Jimmy Butler was asked about his team’s ability to win despite two key star players out. In response, Butler said, “We rebounded, that’s going to be the key going forward we have to keep those guys (Lakers) off the boards”. Butler, who had the best game of his career with a triple-double, was not worried about his stat line. Jimmy only had one thing on his mind, “Win. I don’t care about any of that.” One thing is certain the Heat have made their mark in these finals. They displayed why they’re in the finals and proved the Lakers can be beat. The Heat will look to match the high energy the Lakers are sure to bring in Game 4 as they look to tie the series Tuesday night.
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