CHICAGO --- Chill back the champagne. Hold off the confetti. And wheel back the Larry O'brien trophy to a secure location.
Written off as dead characters in what is scripted as a storybook ending for the purple-and-gold franchise, the Miami Heat rewrote the narrative in Game 5 of these 2020 NBA Finals by beating the Lakers on their scheduled coronation night.
Miami 111. Los Angeles 108.
And Jimmy Butler did it again. While emphatically eclipsing the glow of L.A.'s two brightest superstars, Butler stole the red carpet from those parade-planning, championship-sniffing Lakers.
Playing all but one minute of the 48-minute thriller, Butler served his second triple-double of the series, this time a 35-point, 12-rebound and 11-assist masterpiece.
Insisting that the Heat were far from over even after his team fell behind 3-1, Butler reinforced his defiance with a sterling effort that saw him sink 11 of 19 field goals and all 12 of his free throws.
"His will to win is remarkable," an awestruck Heat coach Erik Speolstra told the The Miami Herald following Butler's exploits. "To do that in 47-plus minutes and take the challenge on the other end," was the difference-maker, Spo added.
Make no mistake, though, Butler's teammates didn't just allow their veteran leader to carry them on his broad shoulders. They rolled with him side by side.
Duncan Robinson swished seven 3s on the way to 26 points. Kendrick Nunn provided a punch off the bench with 14 while starters Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Jae Crowder posted a combined 36 points.
As expected, the size and talent superior Lakers controlled the boards, 41-36, dominated the paint scoring, 42-32, and ran away with the fastbreak wars, 25-4.
Some of those deficiencies were compensated by the Heat having five more assists with 26 and two less turnovers at 13.
Most of it, though, was purely about heart, grit, and the composure to make the winning plays in an air-tight contest that had 16 lead changes and seven ties.
AND AS MIAMI THRIVED UNDER PRESSURE, THE LAKERS WILTED.
Danny Green missed a wide-open 3 with 7.1 seconds to go and the fate of the universe at stake. Markieff Morris grabbed the offensive rebound but he threw it out of bounds.
I didn't see the lump in Green's and Morris' throats but the deer-in-the headlights look both flashed as replays were shown provided some meaningful insight that rattled, unsteady nerves may have been the culprit.
LeBron James was phenomenal, out of this world. But his 40-point effort, which went with 13 rebounds and seven dimes, couldn't save Game 5.
The King can only do so much.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope racked up 16 points but he clanked his last three shots in the final 3:16 of play. Kyle Kuzma went 3-of-10. Rajon Rondo missed six of seven attempts while Morris and Alex Caruso managed just 1-of-5 from the field.
Anthony Davis was spectacular with 28 markers and 12 boards but it was evident that the 6-foot-10 juggernaut was hindered by what he described as a "re-aggravated" contusion on his right heel.
"I'll be fine," Davis told The Los Angeles Times.
But his injury history says otherwise.
Per FOX Sports, Davis sustained 25 injuries in his first five years in the NBA. And before he eloped from New Orleans to frolic with LeBron in L.A., he missed 108 regular season games in eight seasons according to ClutchPoints.
Will The Brow blink in Game 6?
No one knows. Yet.
All we know for now is that the Lakers took several giant swings in Game 5 and the Heat took it like a champ.
The basketball gods heard our prayers. A hell of a championship series is unfolding in our midst.
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