Heat Force Game 6, Top Lakers to Stave Off Elimination 111-108

(AP) — The trophy was ready. Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat delayed its appearance.

The NBA Finals are not over, not after Butler and the Heat pulled off a virtuoso performance in Game 5 on Friday night. Butler had 35 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, and the Heat watched Danny Green’s wide-open 3-pointer in the final seconds bounce off the rim on the way to beating  Los Angeles  111-108 — cutting the Lakers’ lead in the title series to 3-2.

LeBron James was trying to do everything it took to knock out the Miami Heat and deliver the Lakers a championship, but he needed one more chance. He couldn’t get it.

James finished with 40 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, but had to give up the ball and couldn’t get it back on the Lakers’ possession in the final seconds of their loss on Friday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. James had never missed a chance to close out an NBA Finals series and tried to finish this one off and send everyone home after three months in the bubble.

Game 6 is Sunday night.