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Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron out early, Butler leads Heat upset, 5 Lessons

By Ronald Agers

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 04: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat handles the ball during the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Three of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 04, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 04: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat handles the ball during the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Three of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 04, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /

Jimmy Butler sent a limo for the Los Angeles Lakers! 

Jimmy Butler for the last couple of games stated that he had to come out and be more aggressive offensively. In Game 2, he didn’t. Man in Game 3, Jimmy Buckets did just that and then some. The only reason he didn’t play the whole game was that Miami Head Coach, Erik Spoelstra MADE him sit down for stretches totaling three minutes.

Oh but those other 45 minutes.

Butler came out as aggressive as any other time in the postseason, just cooking the Los Angeles Lakers in team record fashion.

According to ESPN Stats and Info…

Jimmy Butler became only the 4th Miami Heat player to score 19 or more in an NBA Finals half. The others?

  • Dwyane Wade did so on 8 occasions. Great players tend to do that when they own three rings. 
  • LeBron James follows up with 5.
  • Mario Chalmers did it once.

It’s also the first time in Butler’s postseason career that he’s tallied at least 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a half.

He dominated in the second half too.

It’s a wonder why the Lakers never sent help at Butler. For that omission, the Heat ran pick and roll to free Butler off of LeBron James to players that were either too small, too weak, too slow or all of the above. Finally, he closed the game out with shot after shot down the stretch to finish with 40 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals.

Want some history? All from ESPN Stats and Info.

  • This is the third 40-point triple-double in the NBA Finals as Butler joins Jerry West and LeBron James.
  • Jimmy Butler is the 6th player in NBA Finals history with a 30-point triple-double. LeBron James (2), James Worthy (1) and Jerry West (1) are the only ones with a 35-point triple-double in the Finals.
  • Butler has 2 40-point performances this postseason, tied with James and Wade for most such games in a single postseason in Heat franchise history.
  • Jimmy Butler scored or assisted on 73 points, tied for the 2nd-most in an NBA Finals game in league history. (Walt Frazier, 74) Butler is the first player with a 40-point Finals game without attempting a three since Shaquille O’Neal in 2002.

Basically all of this information leads to a message to the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff…

Might want to double Jimmy Butler in Game 4!

I know what some of you reading this is thinking. Isn’t this a Los Angeles Lakers website? Yes. Let’s discuss the Lakers’ best player in Game 3. He just wasn’t as good as Jimmy Butler!

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