NBA FINALS
LAKERS 106, HEAT 93
When considering the disappointing ending for the MiamiHeat, first consider where it started, whenthe undraftedduoofDuncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn were rolled out as opening-night starters nearly 12 months ago, on a night when Jimmy Butler would sit out his MiamiHeat debut.
Then flash 50 weeks forward, to a team that walked off the court Sunday night at Disney’s Wide World of Sports two wins short of anNBA championship.
No, Sunday night’s 106-93 loss to the Los AngelesLakers did notwrap the seasonupin a tidy bow for the Heat. It was hardly anything close, ending the best-of-seven NBA Finals in a 4-2 decision for LeBron James, Anthony Davis and a storied franchise that nowhas its 17th title.
But little about 2019-20 was perfect, including the four-month shutdowndue to the new coronavirus pandemic.
That was particularly true Sunday night for the Heat, with a defense that struggled, an offense that couldn’t find the mark, and the heart of the team limping to the finish, centerBamAdebayoending the series recovering froma neck strain, guard Goran Dragic back Sunday after missing the previous four games with a torn plantar fascia in his left foot.
Nonetheless, even after this result, itwas a team already with validation unquestionably earned.
Whether it was the emergence of Robinson and Nunn, the rookie growth spurt of TylerHerro, the ascendency of Adebayo, the selflessness of Dragic, or Butler returning from the openingweek birth of his daughter to guide the rebirth of the franchise, the 32nd season of Miami Heat basketball assuredly was like no other.
Ultimately, Erik Spoelstra’s team proved unable to sustain against a team fulfilling its championship mandate, one featuring the game’s undeniable championship player of the past decade, in James.
So a Pat Riley Heat creation, for the third time, had to settle for being second to one, just as theHeat came up short in the 2011and 2014 Finals.
That 2014 series proved to be the end of an era, James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers after Heat championships in 2012 and ’13, beforemoving on to theLakers, following a title with theCavaliers in 2016.
Andnowthis one for James, refusing to be denied by pandemic and upstart Finals opponent.
James closed with a triple-double Sunday, with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, supported by 19 points and15 rebounds from Davis.
For the Heat, there were 25 points and 10 rebounds fromAdebayo, aswell as 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds fromButler.
Ultimately, the bubble burst Sunday for the Heat as the champagne flowed for the Lakers, a forgettable Heat night that followed an unforgettable season.
1. Finished at the start: The Lakers pushed to a 28-20 advantage at the end of the first quarter … and then just bulldozed from there.
With a 47-18 blitz to end the first half, the Lakers moved to a 64-36 intermission lead, the second-largest halftime lead in Finals history, behind only a 30-point Boston Celtics lead in Game 1 in 1985 against the Lakers.
The Lakers became just the third team over the last 50seasons to clinch achampionship in a game they never trailed, joining the 1986 Celtics against the Houston Rockets and the1982 Lakers against the Philadelphia 76ers.
2. Butler can’t: By the finish, it was clear that Butler was running on fumes, the toll of his Finals minutes leaving him hardly the same player who twice previously produced triple-doubles in the series.
With Dragic limited, Adebayo hobbled, and Herro off the mark, the Lakers on Sunday night swarmed, blitzed and doubleButler practically into submission, all as Butler continued with the defensive challenge against James.
Robinson said sharing the court with Butler during the playoffs made the experience
particularly meaningful.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Robinson said. “He has a lot of those moments where you just don’t quite have thewords to say.”
3. Not the same: Although Adebayo made it back by Game 4 fromthe neck strain that sidelined him in Games 2 and 3, he hardly was the dominating force he had been in the previous rounds, evenwith Sunday’s numbers.
Adebayo in the previous round against the Celtics had been bothered a shoulder issue, which the team insisted was not related to the neck strain.
4. Dragic returns: Although hardly himself, Dragic was active for the first time since he tore the plantar fascia in his left foot in Game1on Sept 30.
He entered with 1:09 to play in the first period, playing19 minutesandfinishing with five points and five rebounds, shooting 2 of 8.
Spoelstra said before the game that Dragic wanted “to be out there, with his heart and soul.”
It was the first time Dragic played as a reserve this postseason, after doing soalmost exclusively during the regular season.
5. What he does: It was James’ 28th career playoff triple-double, one two shy of Magic Johnson’s NBA record, and17 more than Jason Kidd, who stands third on the playoffs list.
Spoelstra was asked pregame about James now and the James he coached from2010 to 2014.
“I mean, obviously, all the experiences that he’s had,” he said, “he’s not going to get surprised by anything. He’s been in every competitive situation that this league can provide you and he’s been able to find success with different teams.”