LeBron James is outplayed (by Jimmy Butler) in every major stat for the first time in 52 playoff games, and more sports news
James has been the highest scorer, rebounder and assist man in many games before, but Butler gave him a taste of his own medicine in Game 3.
LeBron James is playing in his 10th career NBA Finals series. Jimmy Butler just did something that no one had ever done against him.
It wasn’t until James' 52nd career NBA Finals game that a player outscored, outrebounded and out-assisted him. That player was Butler, who played like he had everything to lose on Sunday.
When you consider James' historical dominance in the finals, plus the Heat were missing two of their most impactful players, it’s a pretty impressive feat. Butler finished with 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists.
Butler showed again he’ll do anything to win. He’s one of the players in the NBA who can score 40 or 15 points and still have a major positive impact on a game’s result.
The Uber-competitive Butler was caught on camera saying “you are in trouble” after the Heat took a commanding lead in the fourth quarter. He made it known that it was his response to James, who made the same comments about the Heat earlier in the game.
Only 4 teams have come back and won an NBA Finals series from down 2-0, so odds are stacked against Miami. However, the Heat can find hope in knowing that they completed one of those comebacks in 2006.
A couple of star players unexpectedly missing from Monday night games
The potential of a sudden absence of a player on game day is something the NFL is prepared for in this different season.
The New England Patriots will be put to the test after they learned that starting quarterback Cam Newton won’t be available after testing positive for COVID-19. It’s a massive blow because he may have been the Patriots' only hope to keep up with that high-powered offense in Kansas City.
Newton is not the only player who was preparing to play this week. Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams missed his last game with a hamstring injury, but he had been practicing in a limited fashion all week.
While he believes he can suit up, the team doctors are taking the cautious approach.
“Sorry fans and friends I won’t be on the field tonight,” Adams said in a tweet that was later deleted. “I’ve done everything I need to do and proved I’m ready but I guess I don’t know my body as well as others. Good luck out there my boys.”
Adams sounds like he believes he’s ready to play. The Packers do have a bye next week, and that probably factored into their decision to rest Adams.
It’s a major blow for Adams and a Green Bay offense that already lost wide receiver Allen Lazard to a core injury after his big game against the Saints.
The Atlanta Falcons have a bunch of problems, but scoring isn’t one of them. Now without their top two receivers, scoring just became a little harder for the Packers.
Eagles DT Malik Jackson pulls a veteran move against 49ers
Football is a game of inches, and Eagles defensive tackle Malik Jackson is making sure he makes the 49ers earn every one ... and then some.
With the 49ers offense in no-huddle and trying to score fast, the referees have to get the ball spotted as quickly as possible. When the ball’s spotted the referees turn their backs and sprint to their positions.
Only like a savvy veteran could, Jackson gave the Eagles a few more inches to work with when the referees weren’t looking.
The best part about this is that oftentimes in the NFL, the second reactionary person is who gets caught. If an offensive lineman would’ve tried to move it back, he would’ve risked getting flagged or the referee stepping back in.
The move didn’t prevent the 49ers from scoring, but Jackson should keep that one in the playbook. It could come in handy sometime down the stretch.