Orlando -
Anthony Davis scored most of his points with a soft touch. LeBron James used his muscles to knock everything down and cause damage.
And whenever it seemed like their lead was threatened, the Los Angeles Lakers had an answer.
Thus, they have reached the halfway point that could lead them to the championship in this final.
James finished with 33 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists; Davis made 14 of his first 15 field goals for a total of 32 points, and the Lakers took a 2-0 lead in the championship series by defeating a depleted Miami Heat 124-114 on Friday night.
ANTHONY DAVIS IS A MACHINE.#NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/xepRg3pqcB
— NBA Latam (@NBALatam) October 3, 2020
The Lakers made 51% of their shots, hitting 16 consecutive shots in the paint in a streak that started at the end of the first quarter and ended in the late third.
The last time two Lakers players had scored 32 points each in the same final game was in the third game of 2002 against New Jersey. At that time, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant achieved it.
“We feel humbled to be mentioned alongside those greats,” James said.
Shaq and Kobe received rings that year. James and Davis are two victories away from getting it.
“Those guys are playing at an extremely high level. Hopefully, we can get those two more wins," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said.
The Lakers attempted 47 three-pointers, their highest number this season, and made 16.
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Jimmy Butler finished with 25 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds for Miami, which did not have an injured Bam Adebayo (neck and left shoulder) or Goran Dragic (left plantar fascia tear).
The Heat scored 39 points in the third quarter, and that was only enough to get within 10 points before the fourth quarter, from a 14-point deficit at halftime.
"Look, I love these guys. I love the way they compete," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We have to find a way to recover from this and improve."
The third game will be on Sunday. It is not clear if Dragic, Adebayo, or both could return. Both wanted to play on Friday before the Heat decided to leave them out.
It is also unclear if their return would help at all.
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This is the twenty-fourth time James has had a 2-0 lead in a series. He won all of the previous ones, with Cleveland, Miami, and Los Angeles.
And the last time the Lakers franchise wasted a 2-0 lead was in the 1969 final against Boston.
"It's a great team we're facing and we understand it," James said.
So far, the Lakers have simply been much better. (D)