With starters Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic out again for Game 3 of The Finals, the weight of keeping the Heat within reach of a fourth franchise title fell to Jimmy Butler.
And Butler delivered. Again and again.
By the time the final ticks flipped off the game clock, Butler had racked up 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists — just the third 40-point triple-double in NBA Finals history. He joins Jerry West (1969) and LeBron James (2015) as the only players to do so.
Butler shot 14-for-20 (70%) and 12-for-14 (85.7%) from the line, also contributing 2 blocks and 2 steals. His mark from the paint (outside the restricted area) was a particularly impressive 9-for-12 (75%), well above the league average of 40.1%.
The performance earned plaudits across the aisle, as LeBron James (25/10/8) offered high praise:
“Jimmy was phenomenal,” James said. “He did everything they needed for him to do tonight. He came through big time in a big-time game.”
