Jimmy Butler recorded his second triple-double of the NBA Finals as the Miami Heat staved off elimination to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-108 Friday night and force a Game 6 in their championship series.
Butler hit a pair of free throws with 16.8 seconds left in the game to give Miami a one-point lead and on the ensuing Lakers offensive possession LeBron James set up teammate Danny Green at the top of the key with a wide-open look to give Los Angeles a chance to take the lead back, but he missed.
The Lakers were gifted another opportunity, however when Markieff Morris got the offensive rebound but appeared to panic trying to force a pass inside only to see it sail out of bounds, giving the ball back to the Heat who saw Tyler Herro ice the game with a couple of free throws with 1.6 seconds to play, giving the Lakers no time to get a quality look to force overtime as they had no timeouts left and couldn’t advance the ball.
Game 6 will go on Sunday evening.
Sign up for Raptors newsletters
Get the best of our Raptors coverage and exclusives delivered directly to your inbox!
Raptors Newsletter
Here are few takeaways from a dramatic Heat victory in Game 5.
Game of the year
Before diving into any of the nitty-gritty of the contest, let’s first take time to appreciate the greatness that was Game 5.
There’s been a lot said about the quality of play all throughout the bubble and Friday’s game looked to be the very apex of all this great basketball we’ve been treated to thus far.
In short, Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals was what peak basketball looks like.
There were 15 lead changes and six separate ties as both teams shot the ball well and got timely stops when needed. Then there was a nail-biting finish and a duel for the ages between two superstars (which we’ll get to in the next section).
So this is less a takeaway and more just a mini section of deep appreciation for that game.
Thank you, Basketball Gods.
Jimmy vs. LeBron
Butler became just the sixth player in NBA history to record multiple triple-doubles in a single NBA Finals when he once again put the Heat on his back for a line of 35 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and five steals on 11-of-19 shooting and a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line.
Among the names on that elite list is LeBron James, who had himself quite the night as well, erupting for 40 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists on 15-of-21 shooting, including a deadly 6-for-9 night from deep.
Players with multiple Triple-Doubles in a single #NBAFinals series
Magic Johnson (3x) LeBron James (3x) Jimmy Butler Larry Bird Wilt Chamberlain Draymond Green
A big reason why this game was so compelling is because of the duel between these two players.
From early on in the game you knew this game was shaping up to be something special because of the performance of Butler and James with the Heat star going off for 22 first-half points, with six rebounds and assists to boot, and James answering with 21 of his own in the opening half.
As such, the end of the game was enhanced as this showdown met its logical conclusion with the pair going basket for basket down the stretch. Besides the Herro free throws that iced the game and an Anthony Davis putback with 21 seconds to play, all the points scored within the last 2:52 of the game were scored by Butler and James.
It was like scripted theatre but even better because there was no telling what the outcome was going to be until the final buzzer.
Seeing stars compete against each other and thrive the way Butler and James did Friday is why sports will always be the best kind of entertainment.
Heat role players get the job done
First off, let’s address the elephant in the room.
There will be a lot of blame given to Green for missing a wide-open shot to potentially win the championship, but he isn’t to blame.
“I was able to draw two defenders below the free-throw line and find one of our shooters at the top of the key for a wide-open three, to win a championship,” James told reporters after the game of the look Green had. “I trusted him, we trusted him and it just didn’t go and you live with that.”
Less forgiving is the play Morris was attempting to make after he grabbed the offensive rebound. There was about five seconds left to play and he attempted to make a desperate pass on the inside to Davis, despite the Lakers big man being smothered. Morris probably could’ve kicked it out to Green for another look at three or to another perimeter player for a decent look as the majority of Miami’s defenders were scrambling about and out of sorts.
Still, that isn’t what happened and in the end the better team won Friday mainly because as great as Butler was, Miami got the most out of its supporting cast, which vastly outplayed their Lakers counterparts throughout the game.
Duncan Robinson finally got uncorked, exploding for 26 points on 7-of-13 shooting from three-point range, and in the first half Kendrick Nunn was huge in helping Miami enter the break with a lead, scoring 11 of his 14 during that time.
By comparison, outside of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who hit big shots for the Lakers in the fourth quarter, their non-stars were a decided non-factor with the trio of Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo and Alex Caruso being particularly ineffective.
Duncan Robinson made 7 threes tonight, setting a new record for 3PM by an undrafted player in an NBA Finals game. Previous was 6 3PM by Gary Neal in 2013. pic.twitter.com/8ciDaaYpt3
Of pressing concern for the Lakers in advance of Game 6 will be the status of Davis.
The All-NBA big man had another strong game, going for 28 points, collecting 12 rebounds and coming up with three blocks and steals as the primary defender on Butler once again, but he had an injury scare near the end of the first quarter where he looked to bang up his right heel.
At first it didn’t look to be a cause for concern as he hardly missed any time (and actually ended up playing 42 minutes), but down the stretch of the game Davis looked a little hobbled and without that trademark burst that makes him such a unique talent to begin with for his size.
It’s unclear at the moment if it was just fatigue setting in for Davis or anything truly serious, but he will be someone that will be closely monitored right up to tip-off on Sunday, for sure.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps have loaned midfielder Jay Herdman to Cavalry FC of the Canadian Premier League and rewarded two Whitecaps FC 2 players with MLS contracts.
Midfielder Jeevan Badwal signed as a homegrown player through 2027, with options for 2028 and 2029, while forward Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau signed an MLS contract through 2025, with club options for 2026 and 2027.
Both have been playing for the Whitecaps’ MLS Next Pro team along with the 20-year-old Herdman, the son of Toronto FC coach John Herdman.
The moves were made before Friday’s MLS and CPL roster freeze.
Born in New Zealand while his father was working for the New Zealand Football Federation, Jay Herdman was also part of the New Zealand soccer team at the Paris Olympics with three appearances including two starts. Herdman’s loan deal runs through the end of the CPL season.
“Jay is an important signing for us, who will provide another attacking option for the run-in,” Cavalry coach and GM Tommy Wheeldon Jr. said in a statement. “He’s a player that we’ve been tracking since we played against Whitecaps in pre-season and he has very good quality, with terrific energy and the ability to contribute to goals.
“With the recent injury to Mael Henry, Jay’s positional profile and age helps us with on-field options and minutes that count towards the league’s required 2,000 U-21 domestic minutes during the regular season.”
Badwal, an 18-year-old from suburban Surrey, is the 26th academy player to sign an MLS contract with the Whitecaps.
“Having joined our academy in 2019, Jeevan continues to progress through our club and takes every challenge in stride,” Whitecaps FC sporting director Axel Schuster said in a statement. “He is comfortable on the ball, positionally sound, and does the simple things very well. We are excited for Jeevan to make the next step in his young career.”
Badwal has made 19 appearances with Whitecaps 2 this season, scoring two goals and adding three assists. A Canadian youth international, he started all three matches for Canada at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup
Badwal made his first-team debut off the bench in the first leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal against Pacific FC.
Chateau was originally selected 74th overall by the Whitecaps in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft after spending two years at St. John’s University.
The 22-year-old from Ottawa signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Whitecaps FC 2 in March. He leads Whitecaps FC 2 in goal-scoring this season with eight goals across 21 appearances (including eight starts).
“Nicolas leads MLS NEXT Pro in shots on target, has a very strong work rate and willpower. We are looking forward to seeing his growth as he builds on his young professional career,” said Schuster.
Chateau made his first-team debut as a second-half substitute at CF Montreal on July 6.
Herdman, who joined the Whitecaps academy as a 13-year-old, has made 19 appearances for Whitecaps FC 2 in 2024, scoring six goals and adding three assists. He made his MLS debut in April as a second-half substitute in a 2-0 victory at the Seattle Sounders.
Internationally, Herdman has represented New Zealand 29 times across the U-19, U-20, and U-23 sides. He was part of New Zealand’s squad at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, starting three matches at the tournament and scoring against Uzbekistan.
The Whitecaps host San Jose on Saturday while Cavalry entertains Atletico Ottawa on Sunday.
—
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024
