It’s now official. There won’t be a sweep in these NBA Finals. This was about the Miami Heat’s will to not quit with the odds stacked up against them. When the Los Angeles Lakers retook the lead in the fourth quarter, the Heat responded. Miami played more physical on the defensive end, making the Lakers work on the offensive end. Fueled by Jimmy Butler’s performance, the Heat defeated the Lakers 115-104. With the victory, Miami now trails the series 2-1.
Here are my three takeaways from Sunday’s victory over the Lakers.
Jimmy’s 40 Point Triple Double
Trailing 0-2 in the series, and shorthanded, the Heat needed a great game from Butler. He answered the call with the best performance of his career. He set the tone from the jump by playing aggressive on both ends of the floor. The Heat all-star kept breaking down the Lakers’ defense to either score or find open teammates. Butler was determined to win this game for Miami. He could be seen screaming “They’re in trouble” as he joined the final-minute huddle.
Butler finished the night with 40 points on 14-20 shooting, 11 rebounds, 13 assists, two steals and two blocks. It was his first triple double of the postseason.
Herro Overcomes Struggles
It was a rough start for Heat rookie guard Tyler Herro. Herro missed seven of his first eight shot attempts. He was rushing on offense instead of letting the game come to him. However, he looked more like himself in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter. Herro hit a couple of key shots to keep Miami ahead. He also had this great little snarl at the end of the game.
Nobody:
Tyler Herro: pic.twitter.com/g9tqHXJJem
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 5, 2020
Herro finished the night with 17 points.
Limiting Anthony Davis
Through two games of the NBA Finals, Lakers superstar Anthony Davis has been killing the Heat. The 27-year old big man had 34 points in Game 1, then followed it up with 32 points in Game 2. However, Game 3 was a different story. By dealing with double-teams most of the night, Davis struggled against the Heat’s defense, turning the ball over five times. Davis also got in foul trouble early in the game. He did get going in the third quarter but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. It was Davis’ worst performance of the postseason.
Davis finished with 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Duncan Robinson Bounces Back
Duncan Robinson is one of the league’s best shooters. However, in the first two games of the NBA Finals, he’s been struggling with his three-point shot. The Lakers’ defense has played a huge part in that with defenders tracking him on every possession. In Game 2, Coach Erik Spoelstra had to get onto him about not shooting the ball because he was hesitant. Robinson bounced back in Game 3 and was able to knock down three triples, including hitting the dagger in the end of the game. His shooting is going to be key the rest of the series.
Robinson finished with 13 points on 3-10 shooting from downtown, five rebounds, and three assists.
Next up: Game 4 is on Tuesday night at 9:00 PM ET.
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