The Lakers, who remain 3-2 in the series, will have another chance to win their 17th NBA title in Game 6 on Sunday at Disney World (Orlando).
In a game of life and death for Miami, Butler threw the team back behind him, resting just 49 seconds throughout the game, and signing a spectacular triple-double with 35 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Butler emerged victorious from an anthological duel with LeBron James, who finished with 40 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists.
“This time we were a bit lucky that Danny Green missed” three times, Jimmy Butler acknowledged. “We just played hard. We got to where we wanted to go on offense, we shared the ball like we always do.”
“Butler is the ultimate competitor and when he reaches the top competition, this is what happens,” acknowledged his coach, Erik Spoelstra. “We can’t celebrate it for long. We have to look ahead and be ready for the next game.”
The Heat were again absent from Slovenian point guard Goran Dragic, one of their best scorers, who suffered a foot injury in the first game of the Finals.
This Friday, however, Butler had crucial support from guard Duncan Robinson, with 26 points and 7 triples, and rookie Tyler Herro with another 12 points.
For the Lakers, Anthony Davis gave a big scare 48.4 seconds to the end of the first quarter when, after jumping for a rebound, he fell to the ground hurting his right foot.
The pivot limped to the bench and the Lakers reported that a bruise he already suffered in his right heel worsened, but with three minutes played in the second quarter he was able to return to the court without apparent sequelae and finished the game with 28 points and 12 rebounds. .
“It’s a tough loss, we were close,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel acknowledged. “But we are going to recover for sure.”
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