The NBA finals marks a significant championship that will forever be engraved in the history of basketball.
The NBA 2020 finals began on Sep. 30 and the recent games between the Lakers and the Miami Heats have been making fans go crazy with excitement. Both teams had played against each other in Game 4 on Oct. 6. The Lakers victoriously beat Miami Heat with 102-96. Although the game was extremely intense with uncertainty on who would win, ultimately, the Heat fell to a loss.
Essentially, the game was important for the Lakers because they were trying to go up 3-1 in the best of the seven series in the finals this year. The first to four wins determines the outcome in the playoffs. For the Lakers, this would be their seventeenth championship if they win, so they will tie with the Boston Celtics for the most championships if they are successful. Personally, for Lebron, it would be his fourth championship ring, which would help further his astonishing legacy.
On the other hand, the NBA finals are significant to the Miami Heats because they want to ride out their momentum and tie up the series. The Miami Heat had worked extremely hard since they did not have any superstars on their team after Lebron had left in 2014. Their goals are to follow their leader, Jimmy Butler, and continue to work as a team with good chemistry, which is the main reason why they have made it so far.
The first and second games of the finals went to the Lakers as two of the most important Heat players, Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic, went down due to injuries. However, the first two quarters were a tight match as Jimmy Butler was able to lead the Heat into a close halftime score. At the time, the star duo of the Lakers had a wobbly start, which allowed the opposing team to take advantage. Despite this, a crucial moment of the game came just before the third quarter. James and Davis picked up their stride; they took a firm lead and kept it consistent throughout the rest of the game.
For instance, Davis’ three-pointer that he made with under 40 seconds left had the crowd going wild. Not only that, but James finished with 28 points, twelve rebounds and eight assists, an amazing performance that undoubtedly pleased fans. The Heat had trouble keeping up once the Lakers started targeting Jimmy Butler, the main scorer for the Heat. When Butler had the chance to take the lead with a 3-pointer, he missed and gave Kentavious Caldwell- Pope the opportunity to score.
Out of both of the teams, the Lakers have many advantages that allowed them to steal the win. Much of their success in the game came from their star players, who played with their hearts and gave all their efforts. For example, the Lakers have Lebron James and Anthony Davis, who are both in the top ten players within the league. In addition, the Heat missed Bam Adebayo for Game 2 and Game 3, and is still missing their leading scorer and third-best player, Goran Dragic, due to health issues.
Game 5 is on Oct. 9 and it’ll be the end for the Heat unless they can make one more stand like they did in Game 3. Although they have strong players, Miami Heat won’t be able to stop the two fierce men on the opposing team.
