Lakers top Heat for 2-0 Finals lead

LAKEBUENAVISTA, FLA. » Anthony Davis got most of his points with a feathery shooting touch. LeBron James flexed hismuscle to bulldoze his way to damage. And whenever the lead looked even the tiniest bit threatened, the Los Angeles Lakers had an answer.

James finished with 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, Davis made 14 of his first 15 shots on the way to 32 points, and the Lakers tooka2-0 lead in the title series by beating the short-handed Miami Heat 124-114 on Friday night. The Lakers shot 51%, making 16 consecutive shots from 2-point range in a stretch that started late in the first quarter and ended late in the third. The Lakers also took a season-high 47 3s, making 16.

Jimmy Butler finished with 25 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds for Miami, which played without injured starters BamAdebayo (neck and left shoulder) and GoranDragic (torn left plantar fascia). The Heat scored 39 points in the third quarter and thatwas only good enough to cut a 14-point halftime deficit to a 10-point hole going into the fourth, mainly because they just couldn’t get enough stops.

Game 3 is Sunday night. It’s unclear if Dragic, Adebayo or both could return; eachlobbied toplayFriday night, before theHeat had to make the call to keep them sidelined.

It’s also unclear how much it will matter.

This is the 24th time that James has had a 2-0 series lead; his teams in Cleveland, Miami and L.A. are 23-0 in the previous instances. Andthe last time the Lakers’ franchise has wasted a 2-0 leadwas in the 1969 finals against Boston.

Kelly Olynyk scored 24 points for the Heat, who trailedby asmany as 32 in Game 1 and — even without Adebayo and Dragic — were farmore competitive in Game 2. Miami got within nine points in the fourth, but never got close enough to truly put a scare into the Lakers.

TylerHerro had 17, Kendrick Nunn scored 13 and Jae Crowder had 12 for the Heat. Herro and Meyers Leonard took Dragic’s and Adebayo’s spots in the starting lineup.