My goodness gracious. Game 5, the first of three straight elimination games for the "Heat" in the NBA Finals, went to Miami in the end--and at the end, 111-108.
Jimmy Butler has established himself in these Finals as one of the starting five greatest players in today's NBA. Jimmy but up his second 3W of the Finals, out-playing the King. Butler played all but one minute, at point slumped on a video table in evident exhaustion and finished with 35 points on 11/19 field shooting, 1/3 from range and 12/12 from the line; 12 rebounds, 11 assists, 5--5!--steals and a block. King James was game high with 40 points, 14 boards, 7 assists and 3 steals in 42 minutes.
Butler, more than any other player who has ever played for the "Heat", yes more than Dwyane Wade, is the instantiation of "Heat" Culture. Butler has an unquenchable fire within, the biggest playing heart, heroic will. He refutes, smashes, demolishes, the truism in sports and war, that fatigue makes cowards of us all. You want quit, look to the Oval Office, look to the King on the other team. Butler and this "Heat" team have not a quit cell in their bodies.
This being the "Heat" it was not just a matter of Jimmy out-willing, out-burning, out-performing LeBron James. This is a Team. Miami had six players in double figures. Next high to Butler was Duncan Robinson with 26. Kendrick Nunn had 14 as last man off the bench. Ailing Bam Adebayor had a quiet 13. Tyler Herro had 12 and Jae Crowder 11. On the other side Anthony Davis got much the better of Bam with a full stat line of 28, 12, 3, 3, and 3. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the only other "Laker"in double figures with 16. Six double scorers for Miami, three for the uber-talented odds-on favorites.
In any other year this would be the grandest story and the "Heat" America's team. But in that other year they might not even be here. Life in a Bubble becomes Miami. They have one more elimination game Sunday and if they are still alive then, a double elimination Game 7. It is the grandest story nobody knows. It will be in that pantheon of classics ignored in the press of events if this Miami team can come back from a 3-1 deficit, win it all and send the "King" off the court with time remaining, giving up on his team yet again.
The soul of all sport lives at 601 Biscayne Blvd and particularly in the chest and gut of number 22 in red and white. We are all witnesses.
