The Miami Heat defended LeBron in ways LA failed to guard Butler

The Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers defended their opposing superstars very differently in Game 3, turning the NBA Finals into a 2-1 affair.

The Miami Heat’s 115-104 Game 3 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers was an incredible display of the stubborn fortitude Miami has showcased all postseason long.

Without Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic for the second consecutive game, the Heat needed every one of Jimmy Butler’s 40 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds to put a stake in the series. Just as significant to the win as Butler’s historic output was the effort he gave at the defensive end in stark contrast to the showing in Game 1.

Heading into these Finals, Miami certainly appeared to possess the ideal personnel necessary to slow down LeBron James. Nobody stops LeBron, even at his advanced age. But Butler, Andre Iguodala and Jay Crowder — with Adebayo in the backline — was as good a trio as you could compile to take on the assignment.

James has long been known to try and delegate from the preferred oppositional coverage in favor of a more favorable matchup, and Miami was happy to oblige throughout Game 1. Sure, Butler and Co. got plenty of facetime with the King to start possessions. As the shot clock ticked, they were surprisingly willing to give it up.

They offered little resistance whenever one of LA’s guards brought subpar defenders Tyler Herro or Duncan Robinson to set a screen. Their bodies never even connected with that of the screener’s, leaving James to dominate opportunities like the one below en route to a 116-98 victory.

Miami then failed to even the series in Game 2 thanks to a zone thoroughly picked apart by LeBron’s 33 points and nine assists.

Throughout Game 3, Butler went to extreme lengths to ensure he remained in front of James. Even if he got caught on a screen, the four-time All-Defensive Team selection didn’t hesitate to abandon the matchup a switch typically indicates he now covers to ensure LeBron got no easy opportunities.

A compilation of such plays can be found below. Whether it’s Kendrick Nunn or Duncan Robinson, notice how Butler’s either sending a teammate back into the rotating defense or springing well-timed doubles to force LeBron to give up the ball.

Sending two defenders to a passer like James on a team as connected as the Lakers is bound to result in an open 3-pointer from somewhere. LA hit three of its four attempts in the above video but shot just 14-of-42 as a whole.

With Anthony Davis struggling through foul trouble, it was a calculated decision by the Heat to keep the potential for LeBron’s heroics at bay, forcing any other Laker to beat them. Markieff Morris and Kyle Kuzma did with 19 apiece. No other supporting member of LA had more than eight.

The Lakers were tasked with a similar situation on defense. Once again in the absence of their second and third-leading scorers, the Heat were expecting to lean heavily on Butler for offense. He wound up becoming just the third player to ever post a 40-point triple-double in the Finals.

Even while Butler was putting together the best performance of his career, LA remained within striking distance down just six with under four minutes remaining. Though he had primarily guarded Butler to that point, it was time for James to truly lock in to cut off the lone valve Miami’s offense was benefiting from.

As the clips packaged by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater show, LeBron didn’t seem interested in taking on the challenge. He was quick to hand off the assignment to whichever defender Miami’s guards brought over, allowing Butler to feast on, among others, the smaller Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and slower Markieff Morris to close out the victory.

This is the same 35-year-old James who, with the hold on Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals slipping, asked to match up against the smaller and quicker Jamal Murray. He fought through screens, forced two key misses late and helped the Lakers secure the 3-1 lead.

He is the best option LA has to slow Butler down. Understandably, he’s not completely invested in that responsibility throughout the game, but delegating the task when it matters most puts the Lakers at a further disadvantage when trying to shrink a deficit.

Turnovers — LA had 10 in the first quarter. James had eight total — poor 3-point shooting and an off-night from the Finals MVP favorite opened the door for the Heat to turn a presumed sweep into a legitimate series.

The lengths they went to neutralize LeBron in ways LA failed to even attempt to impose on a scorching Butler is something Miami could further use to tie up the series in Game 4 on Tuesday.