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LeBron James and Jimmy Butler put on a show in Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and LA Lakers. Miami, down 3-1, had no choice but to force another game or go home from “The Bubble” in Florida.
If Heat Nation wasn’t sold on “Jimmy Buckets” yet, that was the game that made him irrevocably one of theirs. The fiery forward was acquired in the offseason from the Philadelphia 76ers in a four-team trade. Miami hasn’t had buyer’s remorse since getting the former Most Improved Player of the Year winner.
Jimmy Butler promptly carried the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals in his first season with the team. Miami needed someone who can anchor their championship hopes and Butler was who Pat Riley saw as the answer.
The 2020 finals showed that Riley got the trade right as the Heat finally had someone who could go toe-to-toe against LeBron James.
The Lakers team that went to the said finals was stacked. It had Anthony Davis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo, Kyle Kuzma, Alex Caruso, Danny Green and Markieff Morris. They had the best defense that year and were coached by Frank Vogel.
Butler had Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Jae Crowder, Kelly Olynyk and Andre Iguodala.
The favored LA Lakers played true to form and raced to a 3-1 lead which set up the pulsating Game 5.
LeBron James and Jimmy Butler battled down the stretch in Game of the 2020 NBA Finals
Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals was close until the final buzzer. The Miami Heat took a 60-56 lead heading into the halftime break.
The last four minutes of the said game was a seesaw battle that tested the guts of both teams, particularly LeBron James and Jimmy Butler.
LA was up 99-98 with exactly four minutes left in the game. “King James” orchestrated every Lakers play with “Jimmy Buckets” hounding him. The Lakers tried to switch Duncan Robinson on James every time they had the ball. Miami somehow managed to stick either Butler or Jae Crowder on the four-time MVP.
From the four-minute mark until three minutes, Jimmy Butler had a block on LeBron James and stole the ball from Alex Caruso. He capped it off with a nifty pass to Duncan Robinson who nailed a three-pointer.
From there both teams exchanged baskets with both James and Butler in the thick of everything. A “Jimmy Buckets” jumper gave Miami a 103-101 lead before “King James” responded with an and-1 to give LA a 104-103 edge.
Like a mano-a-mano duel, Jimmy Butler took the challenge and sunk a fadeaway jumper. LeBron James wouldn’t allow the Miami Heat a breather and returned the favor with another brutal rim attack. Both players were gasping but neither were willing to give an inch.
The Lakers had a 106-107 advantage with under a minute left in the game. Butler drove into the lane, got a foul and slumped into the stand under the post. It’s a moment that has become a meme. The Heat forward made both free throws to swing the lead back to Miami.
Anthony Davis\’ follow-up off a Caldwell-Pope miss broke the James-Butler monotony. The Lakers regained a 108-107 edge with 21.8 seconds. Miami sent a triple team toward James, which forced him to pass to “KCP.”
The Lakers, for some odd reason, played Jimmy Butler one-on-one, which allowed him to drive straight at Davis. He again made both clutch free throws. Miami was again up 109-108.
In the next possession, the Heat again dialed up a triple-team, forcing yet again another LeBron James kick out. Danny Green had no one within three feet of him when he received the pass. His three-pointer was short but Markieff Morris grabbed the offensive rebound. Morris threw the ball away before Tyler Herro iced the game.
Jimmy Butler played all but 38 seconds and finished with 35 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, five steals and one block. LeBron James tallied 40 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
