Welcome in to the full recap of Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The shorthanded Miami Heat pulled off an inspiring performance, behind Jimmy Butler's 40-point triple-double as they beat the heavily-favored Lakers 104-115.
Despite the loss, the Lakers hung around throughout the game, eventually recapturing the lead at 91-89 at the 9:01 mark in the 4th. It was just a couple of things that were eventually magnified down the stretch. For the good parts of the game: Markieff Morris and Kyle Kuzma stepped up with the scoring off the bench. They combined for 38 points, 19 each, both on 6-13 shooting. They brought the scoring and 3-point spark while the rest were a non-factor in that category.
The offense got off to a very slow start with turnovers and early foul trouble from AD. Kuz and Kieff's timely buckets kept the Lakers hanging around when it looked like the Heat were pulling away. LeBron James had to pick up the slack when the Heat completely took out Anthony Davis this game. It was a mixed bag game for LeBron with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 blocks but 8 turnovers and he did struggle from the free throw line.
I already hinted at the games, so I'll go in-depth on them. The turnovers and AD in foul trouble are two big negatives that kept the Lakers out of reach this game. They started off the game with 10 turnovers in the first quarter! They totaled 19 turnovers throughout the game. The ball movement was so sloppy tonight. While there was more activity on Miami's defensive end than the last two games, it was more so of a series of mental errors on the Lakers' part tonight.
Anthony Davis is off to hot start in these finals. This game? Not so much. The big reason? Foul trouble. AD committed 3 fouls in the 1st half and it pretty took him off his game and forced the Lakers to play small ball. The Heat cashed in on that opportunity big time. The Lakers' loss of rim protection is the Heat's gain of spacing the floor. That lack up of rim protection opened huge lanes for them to attack the basket and the Lakers were caught rotating late because of the miscommunication on defense. It also allowed them to just zone in on LeBron, despite the fact he still dominated found ways to attack the paint.
We gotta give where credit is due, Jimmy Butler put the team on his back tonight with 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. The Laker defense had no answer for him. It didn't matter who was on him. He looked like Michael Jordan out there, automatic with his midrange jumper. He did most of his damage when smaller guys like KCP and Caruso guarded him off a switch. He was as aggressive as a facilitator as well. Jae Crowder, Duncan Robinson, and Kelly Olynyk were each in double figures. Tyler Herro struggled for most of the game, but finished strong with clutch scoring to put the game on ice. All of them got the benefit off of Jimmy Buckets' unselfish play.
We shouldn't be surprised. The Lakers tend to drop a game throughout this postseason. But really, it was such an uncharacteristic game with the early turnovers and AD in foul trouble. Solid performances by Kuz and Kieff off the bench were definitely wasted tonight. It's difficult to ask for consistency from them. We'll see what happens. The Lakers are expected to still take the championship. But, the Heat will be rewarded for this inspiring performance with Bam Adebayo getting healthy for Game 4 to bolster their frontcourt. It was fun while it lasted, but the Lakers have to rebound and stay locked in. These NBA Finals are far from done based on how this game went. I'mma have to jump in to the Raiders-Bills recap now. It's not a good feeling when both these teams lose on the same day. I'll see you guys later.
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