Facing a 3-0 hole that would have death knell for their hopes of winning the 2020 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler delivered a performance for the ages. Not only did Butler join LeBron James and Jerry West as the only two players in league history to post a 40-point triple-double in the NBA Finals, but Butler also did something nobody had ever done before in a Finals game featuring LeBron James.
Butler outscored, out-assisted, and out-rebounded James in a Finals game, becoming the first player to accomplish such a feat in an NBA Finals game, including LeBron’s teammates. Even in LeBron’s infamous Game 4 of the 2011 Finals when he scored only eight points, he still had a game-high seven assists and a team-high nine rebounds.
Butler’s all-around dominance was the catalyst for Miami getting back into the series. The Heat also got crucial play from Kelly Olynyk off the bench, who scored 17 points. Tyler Herro also had 17 points for the Heat in the start. Game 4 of the NBA Finals is set for Tuesday night, where the Heat my get back center Bam Adebayo.
