Heat, Lakers Set To Begin NBA Finals
By Dan Bruno
The Miami Heat play the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday at Orlando.
The Lakers finished the season with the best record in the Western Conference and took care of business at every step along the way through the playoffs to earn their spot in the finals. On the contrary, the Heat finished the regular season with the fifth best record in the East and, therefore, have seemingly overachieved their way to the finals. Despite where they finished in the standings, both the Lakers and the Heat had a tough road to the finals.
The Lakers dealt with a very determined Portland team in the first round and fell down 0-1 in the series, before coming back to win four straight. They then faced off against the Rockets in the second round, where they again lost Game 1, before winning the next four in a row. The Lakers' toughest matchup of the playoffs came in the conference finals, against the Nuggets, but led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, they managed to close the series in just five games. James and Davis have been monsters through the playoffs, averaging a combined 55 points per game. Alex Caruso, Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard have also come up big to help lift the Lakers over the hump.
Meanwhile, the Heat swept their first-round series against the Pacers, which gave them a little bit of extra time to prepare for their second-round matchup against the top team in the East, the Bucks. The Heat stunned the league as they made quick work of the Bucks, closing out the series in five games, as they were able to contain the league's MVP and DPOY. The Heat then faced the Celtics in the conference finals, who gave them a run for their money, but the veteran savvy and size of the Heat squad seemed to give them the edge to close it out in six. Tyler Herro has emerged as go-to scorer for the Heat, while Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have led the charge every step of the way.
This Finals matchup will be a tough one for either team, as their opponent is not like any they faced to get to this point so far. For the Lakers they will see more grit and veteran poise than they have seen so far, while the Heat will be up against, not one, but two superstars, which will require a far greater focus on the defensive end. The Lakers took the season series against the Heat, 2-0, but both games took place early in the season and cannot be overly relied upon to give a good preview of the series.
The Lakers finished the season with the best record in the Western Conference and took care of business at every step along the way through the playoffs to earn their spot in the finals. On the contrary, the Heat finished the regular season with the fifth best record in the East and, therefore, have seemingly overachieved their way to the finals. Despite where they finished in the standings, both the Lakers and the Heat had a tough road to the finals.
The Lakers dealt with a very determined Portland team in the first round and fell down 0-1 in the series, before coming back to win four straight. They then faced off against the Rockets in the second round, where they again lost Game 1, before winning the next four in a row. The Lakers' toughest matchup of the playoffs came in the conference finals, against the Nuggets, but led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, they managed to close the series in just five games. James and Davis have been monsters through the playoffs, averaging a combined 55 points per game. Alex Caruso, Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard have also come up big to help lift the Lakers over the hump.
Meanwhile, the Heat swept their first-round series against the Pacers, which gave them a little bit of extra time to prepare for their second-round matchup against the top team in the East, the Bucks. The Heat stunned the league as they made quick work of the Bucks, closing out the series in five games, as they were able to contain the league's MVP and DPOY. The Heat then faced the Celtics in the conference finals, who gave them a run for their money, but the veteran savvy and size of the Heat squad seemed to give them the edge to close it out in six. Tyler Herro has emerged as go-to scorer for the Heat, while Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have led the charge every step of the way.
This Finals matchup will be a tough one for either team, as their opponent is not like any they faced to get to this point so far. For the Lakers they will see more grit and veteran poise than they have seen so far, while the Heat will be up against, not one, but two superstars, which will require a far greater focus on the defensive end. The Lakers took the season series against the Heat, 2-0, but both games took place early in the season and cannot be overly relied upon to give a good preview of the series.