It is safe to say Monday night was the most pivotal yet in the 2023 NBA Playoffs in determining this year’s champion. The top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks got Giannis Antetokounmpo back, but a blown fourth-quarter lead and masterclass game from Jimmy Butler has the Bucks in a 3-1 hole. The Grizzlies hoped to even the series in Los Angeles, but LeBron and the Lakers prevailed in an overtime thriller to take a 3-1 lead as two teams from the play-in tournament have a great chance to advance for the first time.
Jimmy Butler’s Masterpiece Lifts Heat Over Bucks Despite Giannis’ Triple-Double
Photo by Icon Sport
In a series full of surprises, the Heat pulled off a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback no one could have seen coming. Not when Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to have a triple-double (26 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists) for the Bucks. Not when Brook Lopez poured in 36 points. Not when the Bucks led almost all night and still led 101-89 halfway through the final quarter.
But the Heat had Jimmy Butler, who tied the fourth-most prolific scoring game in playoff history with 56 points. He was crucial during a 13-0 run that gave the Heat their first lead of the night with just over 3:00 to play. Butler put the Heat ahead for good with 80 seconds left after hitting another three.
Antetokounmpo missed a hook shot, and Butler answered back with another dagger to get him over 50 points. From there, the Heat finished things off at the free throw line in the 119-114 win to take a stunning 3-1 lead.
The lowest-scoring team in the NBA this season has scored at least 119 points in every game this series, becoming just the 16th team in playoff history to do that in a single postseason. This is also just the second time in franchise history the Heat have scored at least 119 points in four straight games (regular season and postseason).
Butler’s game should go down as one of the best playoff performances of all time. No other Miami player scored more than 15 points. Quietly, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday were both held to 14 points for Milwaukee.
Teams up 3-1 win the series over 95% of the time in the NBA, so this could potentially be a disastrous loss for the Bucks, who entered the playoffs as the odds-on favorites to win the NBA Finals.
Lakers Down Grizzlies in Overtime Thriller to Take 3-1 Lead
As if the first game was not good enough, the Grizzlies and Lakers put on a show in the late tip. Memphis managed to show up for the first quarter this time, and the Grizzlies only trailed 54-52 at halftime. An aggressive dunk by Ja Morant to close the third quarter gave the Grizzlies an 83-81 lead.
Anthony Davis was struggling mightily again, and neither team could shoot a three with any consistency. But after Memphis seemed to be pulling away with a 97-90 lead more than halfway through the quarter, D’Angelo Russell stepped up with three straight 3-point shots to give the Lakers a 99-97 lead. Russell soon fouled out after, but his contribution was huge to the comeback effort.
The teams traded baskets late with LeBron James able to get to the rim for the game-tying shot with 0.8 seconds left. Davis blocked Morant’s last shot with ease to force overtime.
While Davis only finished with 12 points, he looked reenergized for overtime. The Lakers led for the whole extra session, and James finished with a playoff career-high 20 rebounds to go with 22 points and 7 assists in the 117-111 win. He also drew a couple charges from Morant late in the game.
No one was ejected this time, though Dillon Brooks again only shot 1-of-7 from three, and Morant was held to 19 points on 24 shots. The Grizzlies wasted a 36-point effort from Desmond Bane. Austin Reaves led the Lakers in scoring with 23 points.
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