Jimmy Butler delays Lakers ring in epic duel with LeBron

Jimmy Butler

was crumbling over the fence and it seemed like his heart wanted to leap out his back.

The warehouse had been in reserve for a long time, but he kept throwing himself against the

wall

, locked in a duel with

that will go down in Finals history.

A prodigious stroke marketing in which the lead changed hands seven times in the final three minutes.

and his

won in another exciting survival drill (108-111).

, who anticipated the title to the point of donning the uniform in memory of

, will have to wait at least until Sunday.

The final stretch of the game condensed the essence of a bare-chested duel.

A suspension shot

responded

forcing a 2 + 1 and removing muscle for cameras.

To the basket of one at the half turn, the other responded by scoring between four defenders and again that one by diving headlong into the hoop.

There was no respite.

did not have it

all night: 48 minutes he rested 48 seconds.

But he had no other choice.

At stake was keeping the season alive for at least two more nights.

It was there, in the last minute and losing 105-106, that

flopped over the fences.

But he stood up.

He held on to score the two free throws, to force another foul, to score two more.

To keep the Heat pulse when he only needed to find his collapsed on publicity.

And yet the last bullet was in the hands of the

, who had possession to win the game, the series and the ring.

With 16.8 seconds to go, Miami played to deny the paint to

and

.

, once a flawless shooter, was completely alone at the 3-point line, but his shot slammed into iron.

caught the offensive rebound but gave the ball away with an incomprehensible pass.

It was a final at the height of a memorable match.

35 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and 5 steals.

LeBron, 40 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists.

But the extraordinary numbers are not enough to describe the duel.

In these Finals 'that' performance of

missing

.

That party that dominated by decree, where determination and enormous talent made him appear above mortals.

It says it all about its magnitude that at 36, an age in which the few who are still active have already entered the low slope, there would be no doubt that 'that' party would arrive.

And that after 17 years (17) the amazement has not worn off.

Few players have mastered the game at that level.

None for so long.

Few, very few have endured those attacks from

, those nights when he decides that the game is his.

The Heat got it, supported by a great defense in the area, a

huge

and - finally -

, who is beginning to stick his head out.

The shooting guard, a very fine shooter that the Lakers defense was denying him bread, uncorked with 26 points and 7/13 on 3-pointers, five in the second half vital to keep Miami afloat.

The

saved the first 'match ball' and returned the ball to the roof of the

, who will live attentive to the state of

.

'La Ceja', although he had good numbers (28 points, 12 rebounds), stopped more than one heart when he put his hands on the Achilles tendon in the first half and ended the game limping.

Before the game the NBA showed the trophy already prepared and in some corner would wait for the confetti but these Finals, which seemed sentenced in the second game, will come full of life to the sixth round.

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Know more

• NBA

• basketball

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• Lebron James

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