Jimmy Butler had a triple-double as the injury-ravaged Miami Heat put up a battling display to ensure that the NBA finals will go to a Game 5 at least.
Butler finished with 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists as the Heat beat the Los Angeles Lakers 115-104 in the early hours of Monday to bring the best-of-seven series 2-1 and doing so with starters Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic still unable to play because of injury.
It was the third 40-point triple-double in finals history. Butler was 14 for 20 from the field and, after the Heat surrendered a double-digit lead early in the fourth, he made sure this one wouldn’t get away.
LeBron James had 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers, while Kyle Kuzma and Markieff Morris each had 19 points off the bench. Anthony Davis managed 15 for the Lakers.
Game 4 is early Wednesday morning. Tyler Herro and Kelly Olynyk each had 17 points for Miami, which got 13 from Duncan Robinson and 12 from Jae Crowder.
