Lakers vs. Heat score, takeaways: Jimmy Butler, LeBron James have epic duel, Miami wins Game 5, extends Finals

The Miami Heat lived to play another day with their win on Friday

The Miami Heat avoided elimination with a pressure-filled 111-108 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Friday, thanks to another incredible performance from Jimmy Butler, who made the go-ahead free throws with just under 17 seconds left in the game.

The Heat led for most of the game, thanks to brilliant performances from Butler and Duncan Robinson, but the Lakers came roaring back in the fourth quarter to take the lead behind the outstanding play of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The end of the game was a spectacular back-and-forth affair that will go down as one of the all-time NBA Finals finishes.

Danny Green missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer which was followed by a Markieff Morris turnover, then LeBron James missed a desperation shot at the buzzer to seal the Miami win.

Butler finished with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for the Heat, while Robinson added 26 points on 7-for-13 3-point shooting. James had 40 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists and Davis put up 28 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and three blocks in the loss.

Game 6 will take place on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET. First, though, are a few takeaways from an incredible Game 5.

1. Let that sink in

In the sports world we're very quick to think about what's next. The second round is over? Let's look ahead to the conference finals. A team won the championship? Let's check out their list of offseason free-agent targets. Sometimes we need to remember to sit back and appreciate what we've just witnessed.

This was one of the best games you'll ever watch in any sport. The level of competitiveness, execution and effort was clearly at another level, led by jaw-dropping performances from Butler and James. Just when you thought one team had taken control, the other team came storming back. Over. And over. Again.

We can think about Game 6 tomorrow. But for tonight, sit back and take stock of one of the best NBA games we've ever seen.

2. Jimmy vs. LeBron

Those not ready to put Jimmy Butler in the superstar tier, or not convinced he could be the best player on a championship-caliber team, have had their arguments thrown in the dumpster with this NBA Finals performance. Not only did he put up another monster stat line, joining LeBron (who else?) as the only players to record multiple 30-point triple-doubles in a Finals series, but he also controlled the offense all night long and made every play that the Heat needed down the stretch while locking up defensively. He scored eight of Miami's last 10 points -- two pull-up jumpers and four free throws -- and drew a foul on Davis with just under 17 seconds left to put the Heat up for good.

"That's what my team asked of me. That's what they needed me to do," Butler said of his Game 5 performance. "I think [Pat Riley] and [Erik Spoelstra] brought me here for that reason, to help us win games. And I have to continue to do that for two more games."

It's funny how basketball works. If the Lakers had won the title on Friday night, we'd be talking first and foremost about LeBron's iconic performance as he accepted his Finals MVP trophy. Instead we're talking about the Heat and Butler, but don't let that overshadow the brilliance that James displayed in Game 5.

LeBron was locked in from the opening tip, shooting a ridiculous 15 for 21 from the field and 6 of9 from 3-point range en route to 40 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. His layup with 58 seconds left gave the Lakers the lead, and his kick out to Green for a wide-open 3-pointer on the team's penultimate possession might have been a Michael Jordan-to-Steve Kerr moment for LeBron. Instead Green missed, and we're now discussing if we've ever seen a better performance in a Finals loss.

"He was able to make one more play than I was able to make tonight," James said of Butler after the game. "And come away with the victory."

3. Miami runs on Duncan

Duncan Robinson entered Friday night's game with eight made 3-pointers in four NBA Finals games. He almost matched that with seven in Game 5, and the Heat needed every single one. Robinson affects every game for the Heat whether he's making shots or not because of the defensive attention he draws, but he was able to get loose for some of the cleanest looks he's gotten all series on Friday. He also had a follow-up dunk, and took a key charge on James in the fourth quarter.

The Lakers defense lost track of him for a split-second on multiple instances, and Robinson proved that's all he needs to put the ball in the basket.

"Early on in this series, shots weren't going. My teammates were just always in my ear to continue to be aggressive," Robinson said after the game. "I just try to do my job. I'm thankful that some were able to go -- more thankful that we have practice tomorrow, we've got another day."

4. Lakers can't come up clutch

The final possession for the Lakers was a near-halfcourt heave from LeBron that didn't come close, but the game was lost on their previous possession, when James drove, drew the defense and kicked the ball out to Green for a wide-open 3 from the top of the key. Not only did Green miss, but the shot barely grazed the rim. As the Lakers have done all postseason, they grabbed the offensive rebound with plenty of time to get a good shot, but instead Morris attempted a lob pass to Davis that sailed out of bounds with 2.2 seconds left, essentially ending the Lakers' chances of winning.

"I trusted him. We trusted him. And it just didn't go. You live with that," James said of Green's missed shot. "I know he wishes he could have it again. I wish I could make a better pass. You live with it."  

Maybe Green's legs were tired from all that he's done all series long on both ends, but that was as good of a look as the Lakers could ask for in that situation. Morris definitely had a deer-in-headlights vibe when he got the ball, and tried to make a play that just wasn't there. It was a strange sight for those of us who have been watching the Lakers during this playoff run. They've been so poised and have seemingly made every big play down the stretch, but this time around they just couldn't do it with chance to end the series.

5. Bam still not right

There's good news and bad news for the Heat. On one hand, Bam Adebayo had a rough offensive game, missing shots around the rim and dropping passes out of bounds while finishing with 13 points on 5-for-12 shooting and three turnovers. On the other hand, the Heat still won the game, and can expect a better performance in Game 6 as Adebayo continues to adjust to playing with the neck/shoulder injury that forced him to miss Games 2 and 3.

Kelly Olynyk, who played well in Adebayo's absence, didn't see a single minute in Game 5, so we can expect Spoelstra to rely heavily on Adebayo on Sunday as well. Even when he's not playing well offensively he's essential to the Heat defense, but the Heat go to another level when Bam is making plays on offense. That will be something to watch as the Heat attempt to extend the series once more in Game 6.

[Oct 9, 2020 at 11:43 pm ET · James Herbert]

Anthony Davis: 28 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks, 9-15 FG, 2-5 3PT. He had an injury scare in the first half and was clearly playing through some serious discomfort in the fourth quarter.

[Oct 9, 2020 at 11:42 pm ET · James Herbert]

LeBron James: 40 points, 7 assists, 13 rebounds, 3 steals, 15-21 FG, 6-9 3PT

[Oct 9, 2020 at 11:42 pm ET · James Herbert]

Duncan Robinson: 26 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 8-15 FG, 7-13 3PT

[Oct 9, 2020 at 11:41 pm ET · James Herbert]

Jimmy Butler: 35 points, 11 assists, 12 rebounds, 5 steals, 1 block, 11-19 FG, 12-12 FT. He sat for a total of 49 seconds.

[Oct 9, 2020 at 11:40 pm ET · James Herbert]

LeBron James and Jimmy Butler were both transcendent

[Oct 9, 2020 at 11:40 pm ET · James Herbert]

Lakers have a 3-2 lead in the series. Game 6 is Sunday. What a phenomenal game.

[Oct 9, 2020 at 11:39 pm ET · James Herbert]

FINAL SCORE: Heat 111, Lakers 108

[Oct 9, 2020 at 11:39 pm ET · James Herbert]

Rondo to LeBron near halfcourt, he launches a deep 3, nope.

[Oct 9, 2020 at 11:39 pm ET · James Herbert]

Heat not guarding Rondo

[Oct 9, 2020 at 11:39 pm ET · James Herbert]

Rondo inbounding

[Oct 9, 2020 at 11:39 pm ET · James Herbert]

Makes the second

[Oct 9, 2020 at 11:39 pm ET · James Herbert]

LeBron is down at the other end of the floor