Random dribbles following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 111-108 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the Finals on Friday.
1. Well, so much for the Lakers being perfect in closeout games. They certainly had their chances in this one. It was just too much Jimmy Butler at the end and Duncan Robinson for most of the first three quarters and part of the fourth.
2. As you know, the Lakers still lead the series by a 3-2 count and will get another try Sunday (7:30 p.m. EST, ABC). At worst, they get two more tries to win one game.
3. My money is on the Lakers.
4. Actually, I don’t bet, but it doesn’t take hard-hitting insight to know the Lakers have LeBron James and the other guys don’t. James almost carried the Lakers on this night, and it’s hard to know which was his most impressive stat.
5. I’ll start with 40 points — on 15-of-21 shooting, no less. He also went 6-of-9 on 3-pointers. On top of that, he snared 13 rebounds and passed for seven assists. He would’ve had more assists had his teammates knocked down some of the wide-open shots James delivered.
6. Despite trailing by 11 points in the fourth, James and Anthony Davis willed back the Lakers, simply by doing what they do best — behaving like superstars. James and Butler especially putting on a show, prompting ABC analyst Mark Jackson to compare their back-and-forth to old Muhammad Ali–Joe Frazier boxing match.
7. Butler delivered the final blow, relentlessly driving and daring the Lakers to try to stop him. When they did, it was usually because of a foul. Butler capitalized every time at the line. He was at least as good as LeBron, finishing with 35 points, 12 boards and 11 assists.
8. Regardless of your rooting interest, this is what you hope to see from a closeout game. The Lakers playing their guts out to win a title, the Heat refusing to go away. It almost had the feel of a Game 7.
9. The Lakers trailed 109-108 with 17 seconds left. They almost took the lead, but Danny Green missed a wide-open 3-pointer. Markieff Morris secured the long rebound, but then threw the ball out of bounds when trying to hit Davis underneath.
10. As James said, “We got a hell of a look to win the game, to win the series. It didn’t go down.”
11. Heat rookie Tyler Herro nailed a pair of free throws for the final points. A 40-foot turnaround heave by James fell well short at the buzzer, and it was see ya Sunday, everybody.
12. Robinson scored 26 points, primarily from beyond the arc, for the Heat. Bam Adebayo made his presence felt with 13 points and lots of hustle. Davis went for 28 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 16.
