NBA Finals: Jimmy Butler Downplays Game 3 Performance, Says Focus Is On 'Winning'

With the Miami Heat still down two key starters, Jimmy Butler took matters into his own hands. He notched a historic 40-point triple-double to lead the team to a 115-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Sunday inside the bubble at the Walt Disney World in Orlando.

Butler detonated for 40 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, but he refused to put too much weight on his stellar performance, saying it’s all about the win and not the figures reflected on the stats sheet.

"Win. I don’t care about the triple-double. I don’t care about any of that. I really don’t," the five-time All-Star said after rescuing the Heat from a dangerous 0-3 series hole. "I want to win. We did that. I’m happy with the outcome."

Butler became just the third player in league history to record a 40-point triple-double in the NBA Finals, joining Jerry West and LeBron James. He is also the first player to ever outclass James on all major statistical categories in a Finals game, according to ESPN's Marc J. Spears.

"How else do you say it other than Jimmy F'ing Butler?" Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, via ESPN. "This is what he wanted, this is what we wanted. It's really hard to analyze or describe Jimmy until you actually feel him between the four lines. He's a supreme, elite competitor and we needed it."

It was obvious right from the get-go that Butler and the Heat were on a mission. The team’s defense was on point, forcing a lot of turnovers from Frank Vogel’s side that had them leading by double digits as early as the first quarter.

The Lakers were able to weather each spurt, but Butler held the fort in the absence of Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo, both of whom have also been the Heat’s trusted weapons in pressure-packed situations.

With Butler in full aggression, the Lakers’ defense was shredded into pieces. And just like that, the Heat are back in the series.

It will be a long night for the Lakers as they try to figure out answers for Butler heading to Game 4 on Tuesday.

"I thought Jimmy was phenomenal…we’ll watch the film and see how we can be better (on him) in Game 4," James said.