Basketball: Brilliant Jimmy Butler keeps Miami Heat in NBA Finals against Los Angeles Lakers

Jimmy Butler (right) denied LeBron James a fourth title. Photo / AP

Jimmy Butler was slumped over a video board behind the baseline in the final seconds, exhausted, gasping for air. He gave it his all. The Miami Heat needed nothing less.

The NBA Finals — and Miami's title chances — are not over, not after Butler and the Heat pulled off a virtuoso performance in Game 5. Butler had 35 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, and the Heat held off Los Angeles 111-108 to cut the Lakers' lead in the title series to 3-2.

"That's Jimmy Butler," Heat centre Bam Adebayo said. "That's our max player and that's who we go to in these moments."

With good reason. He didn't let them down, not even on a night when LeBron James — seeking a fourth title and the player with the best closeout-game record in NBA history — was masterful.

James had 40 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers. But on the possession that decided everything, the Heat forced the ball out of James' hands by basically sending three defenders at him as he drove down the right side of the lane, the Heat up by one, the Lakers needing only one basket for a title.

He found Danny Green alone atop the key; Green's shot was well short and the Heat closed it out with a pair of free throws.

"It was a little bit of luck that Danny Green missed that shot at the top of the key," Butler said.

Game 6 is Monday.

"We got a hell of a look to win the game, to win the series," James said. "It didn't go down."

Duncan Robinson scored 26 points for Miami, while Anthony Davis had 28 for the Lakers. Robinson's three-pointer with 3m 13s left put Miami up by two, and started a stretch where the next nine scoring possessions resulted in a tie or lead change.

Back and forth they went. Butler got fouled with 46.7s left, then slumped over the baseline video boards, clearly exhausted. He made both foul shots for a one-point lead; Davis' putback with 21.8s left got the Lakers back on top.

"We were very close," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. "I felt two bad calls at the end put Butler to the line, and that's unfortunate in a game of this magnitude."

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra used his last timeout after Davis' go-ahead score just to buy Butler a couple minutes of rest. Butler drove the lane, drew contact and made both with 16.8s left for a 109-108 lead.

"Every young player coming into this league should study footage on Jimmy Butler, the definition of a two-way player competing on both ends, five steals, and then making those big plays down the stretch for us offensively," Spoelstra said.

Thanks to Butler, who played all but 38s, they escaped. The season continues.

"This is the position we're in and we like it this way," Butler said. "And we've got two more to get."

- AP