Erik Spoelstra Lauds Jimmy Butler's 'Remarkable' Will After Heat's Game 5 Win

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra praised Jimmy Butler on Friday night after Butler's impressive performance helped the Heat stave off elimination against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Following Butler's 35-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist triple-double in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Spoelstra said the following, according to ESPN's Malika Andrews: "His will to win is remarkable. Every young player coming into this league should study footage on Jimmy Butler. The definition of a two-way player."

By virtue of their 111-108 win in Game 5, the Heat now trail the series 3-2 and are far from out of it despite the excellent play of Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the NBA Finals and the playoffs as a whole.

Jimmy Butler hits the shot with time ticking down

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With Spoelstra making the decision to cut his rotation down to just seven players Friday, there was a great deal of physical strain placed on those players, including Butler.

Butler led all players with 47 minutes played, and it showed, as he essentially had to hold himself up at times in the closing seconds of the game.

After the win, Butler explained that he emptied the tank in an attempt to keep his team alive: "I left it all out on the floor along with my guys. And that's how we're gonna have to play from here on out. Like I always say: It's win or win for us."

The 2020 NBA Finals have faced the Heat with many challenges. Guard Goran Dragic hasn't played since Game 1 because of injury, while All-Star center Bam Adebayo missed two games with an injury of his own.

Butler has been the one constant for Miami during the Finals, and if the Heat are going to find a way to come back and win the series against all odds, they will likely need Butler to replicate Fridays' performance two more times.

Butler has been the driving force behind Miami's success throughout the season, but especially during the playoffs. The Heat were underdogs against both the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, but Butler's play and leadership pushed the Heat past them.

They are even bigger underdogs against a Lakers team led by LeBron and Davis, and while beating that tandem two more times won't be easy, Butler has at least put his team in position to do so.

Supporting cast members like Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson must also step up like they did Friday, though, as Butler can't be expected to do it all on his own.

The Heat clearly still have an uphill climb ahead of them, but if Butler and Co. can find a way to win again in Game 6, the pressure will shift firmly to James and Davis in a Game 7 situation.