Jimmy Butler Notches Triple-Double as Heat Beat LeBron James, Lakers
The Miami Heat bounced back from Friday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks with a 113-107 win at home over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Duncan Robinson led the way with 25 points and six three-pointers as Miami improved to 30-17.
Heat star forward Jimmy Butler recorded a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. He surpassed LeBron James for most triple-doubles in Miami franchise history with 10.
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The Heat overcame the absences of starting point guard Kyle Lowry (personal) and sixth man Tyler Herro (health and safety protocols).
The Lakers fell to 23-24 after their fifth loss in their last seven games. James had a team-high 33 points and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook added 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Los Angeles big man Anthony Davis, who was initially listed as questionable and considered to be a game-time decision, missed his 17th consecutive game with a sprained MCL.
Notable Stats
G Duncan Robinson, MIA: 25 points (6-of-11 3-pt FG)
F Jimmy Butler, MIA: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists
F LeBron James, LAL: 33 points, 11 rebounds
G Russell Westbrook, LAL: 24 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists
Heat Use Ball Movement, Defense to Earn Victory
Miami relied on efficiency on both ends of the floor to hold off Los Angeles. By sharing the ball on offense and playing furious defense, the Heat ran the Lakers out of the building in the early going.
Butler set the tone early with his unselfishness, notching seven assists in the first quarter alone. Playing the role of facilitator in Lowry's absence, Butler did a great job setting his teammates up for high-percentage shots.
Miami led by as many as 26 in the first half after shooting 64.7 percent from deep and recording 21 assists on its 26 field goals. Butler had 10 of his 12 assists before halftime.
On the other end of the floor, the Heat played hard-nosed man-to-man defense to stifle the Lakers. Miami did a great job of contesting shots and forcing turnovers. The Lakers had 14 giveaways and shot 7-of-29 (24.1 percent) from three-point land through the first three quarters.
Miami got sluggish in the fourth quarter, which allowed Los Angeles to make a big run and get back into the game. But it was timely defense that helped put the game away.
Despite the fourth-quarter collapse, it was mostly a dominant performance for a Miami team that hopes to be in title contention this season. Miami finished with 31 assists on its 40 made field goals.
The Heat are just two years removed from a trip to the NBA Finals. If the team continues to play like this when its lineup gets healthy, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Miami make a deep playoff run this year.
Lakers Doomed by Poor Shooting, Weak Defense
It's been clear throughout this season that the Los Angeles defense is beatable through effort and movement. Against Miami, the Lakers were facing one of the most active offensive teams in terms of cutting and ball movement. So, you can guess how that played out.
Early on, Los Angeles allowed the Heat to get easy looks at the rim and didn't do a good job of running Miami's shooters off the three-point line. It was a recipe for disaster from the start, and the Lakers found themselves facing a 26-point deficit in the first half.
Things didn't get much better after halftime. With its defense struggling, the Los Angeles offense wasn't much better. The Lakers shot 36.8 percent from the field in the third quarter and missed eight of their 11 three-point attempts.
The Heat were able to maintain their lead by taking advantage of Los Angeles' defensive woes.
Los Angeles finally woke up in the fourth quarter and managed to cut the lead to as few as four. The Lakers outscored the Heat 37-24 in the final frame, but it wasn't enough.
A late turnover by Los Angeles, the team's 17th, pretty much sealed the win for Miami. The Lakers finished just 11-of-40 (27.5 percent) from beyond the arc.
It was yet another disappointing performance for a Lakers team that had high expectations coming into the season. Had Los Angeles played with the effort it showed in the fourth quarter for the entire game, the conversation would be much different. The Lakers remain a team that cannot be considered among the elite squads in the NBA because of its continued inconsistency.
What's Next?
The Heat will enjoy a couple of days of rest before returning to action against the New York Knicks on Wednesday. The Lakers will play the third matchup of their six-game road trip Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets.
