Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler recently reflected on his team’s performance during their 124-114 loss to the LA Lakers in Game 2 of the NBA Championship Finals.
Looking ahead at Game 3 on Wednesday, Butler had the following to say, “Maybe we have just got to play a lot harder, to know that is how we are going to squeak out a win in the end. There really isn’t too much to say to our guys. We understand what we have to do.”
Despite his team’s lackluster performance on the night, Butler himself had a standout game, scoring 25 points and racking up 8 rebounds and 13 assists.
The Heat’s one positive takeaway from the match was their performance during the third period, when they scored a grandiose 39 points to cut a 14-point deficit down to just ten points.
“Look, I love these guys. I love the way we compete,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra explained. “We have to figure out how to overcome this and get over the top.”
Prior to their series with the Lakers, Heat enjoyed resounding victories in each of their playoff games leading up to the finals. They secured a 4-0 series victory over the Indiana Pacers, before wrapping up 4-1 victories over the Milwaukee Bucks and then the Boston Celtics.
