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Skip the pat on the back for Jimmy Butler, who scored the third-most points (40) in franchise history in the NBA Finals, as he became the first player to win a game at this stage with a 40-point triple-double Sunday in the Miami Heat’s 115-104 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Butler insists he has performed better.
“He was really good when he was in high school and he played in this league against all 45-year-old men, and he really dominated when he was 17,” Butler joked. “This is up there. But back then, it was killing him. “
Joking aside, that should continue for Butler and the Heat. – 2-1 down in this series to the best of seven– so they really get a shot Tuesday in Game 4 against a Los Angeles Lakers team “waiting for the chance” according to LeBron James. Miami could still play a third game in a row without two major gears in Bam Adebayo (neck strain) and Goran Dragic (left plantar fascia tear).
> The Finals, Game 4: Lakers vs. Heat, Tuesday (9 ET, ABC)
Both discussed their possible return schedules as in the day to day.
Butler, meanwhile, prefers to play in a situation where he is not the focal point, where the Heat share the ball offensively and remain a unit on defense. “Those,” said the veteran swingman, “are the best wins.”
Reality could dictate differently, especially if the Heat are forced to play another outing without Adebayo and / or Dragic.
“We don’t care what he thinks about it right now,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We have gotten over that now. There is no going back. It has to make some things happen to us. He did it brilliantly last night, and he’s probably going to have to do something very similar to that again.
“In order for us to achieve what we want to achieve, you just can’t be normal. You have to be extraordinary. He is taking responsibility on both sides of the court. This is what he’s always wanted as a competitor. This is what we want for him. It will continue to be tested and challenged by this competition, and I love seeing what comes out of that competition. “
It’s exhausting, for sure.
Butler averages 37.3 minutes in the playoffs, which ranks him as his longest time on the court in the postseason since 2016-17, when he averaged 39.8 minutes. After playing 33:25 in Miami’s Game 1 loss, he increased those totals to 44:45 and 44:51 in the last two games without Dragic and Adebayo to share the load.
Butler racked up a 32.7% usage rate in Game 3, which ranked as his third-highest mark of this postseason, as John Schuhmann of NBA.com detailed. Butler held the ball for 11.7 minutes in Game 3According to Second Spectrum tracking, he dished seven of his 13 career postseason assists on the Heat’s 12 buckets from deep.
Butler added his game-high 40 points without attempting a single triple.
“If you constantly try to evaluate it and put it in a box of conventional thinking about basketball, you will just get confused,” Spoelstra said. “He is an elite competitor. It’s tied to how it impacts winning, not this modern definition of a 3 point percentage, 3 and D or all these little terms you hear. It is a throwback. It’s about how it impacts winning, how it impacts your team, your wardrobe, your culture, your franchise. He does it in a remarkable way. “
But you have to wonder what is left for Butler to give as this series progresses.
He fired 20 shots in Game 3, in addition to taking 14 attempts from the foul line, an indication that he is receiving punishment as the only Miami star to carry the charge against a veteran Lakers squad blessed with two superstars in James and Anthony. Davis.
Butler noted that his day Monday consisted of “a lot of rest, a lot of treatment,” while mentioning that for him, the recovery process is largely mental. On top of that, Butler constantly hears Spoelstra’s voice in his head telling him he’s okay.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 73 points Butler created from scoring and assists in Game 3 ranked as the second-highest total in Finals history behind Walt Frazier’s 74 in 1970 with the New York Knicks.
“All I can hear is Spo over and over again telling me I’m not tired,” Butler said. “So when you start, it’s like you can’t be tired, they can’t hit you. These guys need you. They count on you. If they see you, they will.
“So, as best I can, I’m working on my body. [the training room] This morning, I see Tyler there, I see Duncan there, I see everyone there. So I know they feel the same way I do. But they are getting ready to start over. “
The Lakers are, too, especially after watching a Game 3 movie that they believe got away due to turnovers (20 for 21 Heat points) and miscommunication on defense.
“Give the Miami Heat credit,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “We were careless in some situations, but I think they took four charges throughout the game, got in front of the post, forced us to make difficult passes after the inning. So much was their defense, they were active with their hands. This is what they’re great at, and we don’t handle it well enough. “
James said those mistakes would be fixed in Game 4, while Davis praised the NBA’s quick turnaround between games and said he will be ready to bounce back from his lackluster performance.
“I’m excited that we can play tomorrow night, to come back and help my team try to go 3-1,” Davis said.
As for Butler, he will do everything he can to avoid it as Miami looks to even the series at 2-2.
After Game 4, the teams won’t meet again until Friday for Game 5, giving both teams plenty of recovery time for nicks and bruises.
But make no mistake, the face of the game remains on at all times for Butler. So, as expected, he declined to offer celebration sale prices at his Big Face Coffee after the series’ first win in Miami.
“We’re going to do everything exactly the same, like we’re supposed to do on the basketball court,” Butler said. “I always say, ‘Yes, I’m going to make it to the NBA Finals. I want to play in the NBA Finals. I want to win a championship. ‘ That moment for me is now. “
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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can send him an email here , find your file here and follow him on Twitter .
Views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs, or Turner Broadcasting.
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