Without Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo, the Miami Heat lost Game 2 and fell into an 0-2 hole against the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 65 points, and LeBron missed a triple-double by a one rebound and one assist. The Heat come into Game 3 of the NBA Finals as an 10-point underdog for a second game in a row.
It just takes one win to turn around the series. LeBron James knows this, which is why he’s on a mission to deny the Heat an opportunity to mount a comeback. Whenever you spot LeBron a 2-0 lead in the playoffs, he’s 24-0 in closing out that series. LeBron doesn’t close the door, he slams it shut.
If coffee is for closers, then give King James the NBA crown already.
| NBA Finals: LA Lakers (2-0) vs Miami Heat (0-2) |
- Tip-off: 4:30pm PT
- Point Spread: LAL -9.5
- Total: 219 o/u
- Money Line: MIA +365 / LAL -445
The Lakers won Game 2 by 10 points after a last-second basket from Kelly Olynk. Bettors that held the Lakers -10.5 were incensed at the garbage-time bad beat to make the game 124-114. If you had backed the Heat at +10.5, you were pumped about the bucket.
DraftKings listed the Lakers at -10000 to win the series, while the Heat are +2400 to pull off the miraculous comeback in the NBA Finals.
Oh, and Lakers superfan, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, performed the national anthem on a special-designed purple bass with a Lakers logo.
Trey-Happy Lakers Set Record
When both your big dogs score 30-plus points each, your team will be tough to beat. The Lakers are 20-1 whenever AD and LBJ combined for 60 points this season, which tied Shaq and Kobe as the only other dynamic duo to achieve that feat in NBA history.
“It’s very humbling that we can be even mentioned with those greats,” said LeBron.
In Game 1, LeBron and Davis combined for 59 points in an 18-point blowout. In Game 2, the pair notched 65 points.
LeBron had another stellar all-around game. He cracked the 2-3 one by himself as a true floor quarterback getting the ball to the open player on the perimeter. Meanwhile, Davis continued to score at will.
“They have great size and Anthony Davis is an elite player,” said Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra. “We’re trying to get something accomplished and you just have to go to another level. That’s the bottom line.”
Frank Vogel activated Playoff Rondo for the first time in the NBA Finals. Rondo scored 18 points and dished 10 assists in 28 minutes off the bench.
The Lakers jacked up 47 3-pointers, which set a new record in the NBA Finals. Mike D’Antoni would be proud at their long-range bombardment. The Lakers only connected on 34% of their treys, but they attacked the Heat’s zone by finding the open shooter.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green combined 3-for-19 shooting from downtown. The rest of the Lakers shot 13-for-28 from downtown.
Where Did Miami’s Shooters Go?
Without Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo available for Game 2, Tyler Herro and Myers Leonard started in their place. Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 25 points, 13 assists, and 8 rebounds. Olynk added 24 points and 9 rebounds off the bench.
Duncan Robinson and Herro combined 3-for-10 from 3-point range. Robinson’s struggled continued. He shot 2-for-7 from the floor with 9 points. In Game 1, the Lakers held Duncan scoreless then again, he only took three shots. Despite the slump (2-for-10 in the NBA Finals), Spoelstra needed his sniper to shoot through the slump in Game 2.
Early in the first quarter of Game 2, Spoelstra barked at a hesitant Robinson, “Shoot the f-cking ball!”
Despite losing two starters, the short-handed Heat played much better down the stretch. The Lakers really didn’t ice the game until less than a minute to go. The Heat hung tough to the end.
“We had it right there on the edge, but we just couldn’t push it over,” Olynyk said. “We can build on that.”
Dragic and Adebayo will be game-time decisions. Adebayo hinted that he’d be ready to go for Game 3, but Dragic’s severe foot injury might keep him out of the remainder of the NBA Finals.
“I love these guys, and love the way we compete,” said Spoelstra. “We have to figure out how to overcome this and get over the top.”
