After their Game 3 victory in the NBA Finals over the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler finally realized that yes, they do belong in the biggest stage of basketball.
Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Butler shared his thoughts after their Game 3 win — their first victory in the NBA Finals. With this new mindset, Butler hopes that the team will replicate their performance in the next games.
Jimmy Butler: "I think we realize that we belong. They can be beat as long as we do what we're supposed to do. Coming into next game, I know they're going to be so much better. We've got to be able to match that energy." (TV postgame interview)
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 5, 2020
Jimmy Butler put on a monster performance: 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. He was 14-of-20 from the field and 12-of-14 from the free-throw line. It was an output that the Heat needed. Especially since Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic sat out for the second consecutive game.
Besides, if the Heat lost Game 3, then they would be down 3-0 — a rut that's almost impossible to come back from especially against a powerhouse Lakers squad led by LeBron James.
Almost everyone agrees that the Heat are the underdogs in the series. Yes, they did boot out the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. But they are facing a Purple and Gold team with two of the best players in the league in James and Anthony Davis. Not to mention the great role players around them.
But with the Game 3 win, the Heat showed that they deserve to be in the NBA Finals. The have hushed the haters who claim that the Heat will be pummeled in four games. The win, without a doubt, will give them some much-needed confidence in the next game.
Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and the Lakers will be on Tuesday.
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