While Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler will no doubt be proud of his team’s performance in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the LA Lakers, his individual performance has ensured that his name is permanently sealed in NBA history.
Butler has become only the third player in history to have 40+ point triple-double in the NBA Finals, after Jerry West in 1969 and Lakers rival LeBron James in 2015.
Prior to the start of the game, pundits expected Jimmy Butler’s job on the night to be incredibly challenging, particularly since both Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic were ruled out of the game through injury. Ultimately, Butler shocked onlookers with his consistently stellar performance throughout the clash.
Butler performed admirably from both a defensive and offensive position. He shot 14-for-20 (70%) and 12-for-14 (85.7%) from the line, while also managing to make two blocks and execute two steals. Including both points and assists, Butler had a hand in 73 of the Heat’s 115 points.
In addition to his aforementioned accomplishment, Butler also became the first player ever to out-score, out-assist, and out-rebound LeBron James in a Finals game.
Following their Game 3 victory, the heat will come up against the LA Lakers once again in Game 4 on Wednesday.
