Lake Buena Vista, Fla. – The Los Angeles Lakers leaders insisted their resolve is strong to pull the series to 2-1 with their first win of the NBA Finals by the human Miami Heat on Sunday.
“I never feel like we put our guards down,” LeBron James said after his 25-point, 10-rebound, 8-assist performance deteriorated by eight turnovers. “Also, I don’t think we’re worried. We’re not worried. We know we can play very well. On Tuesday we have another chance to take the lead in commanding. You enjoy that opportunity.”
Forward Anthony Davis, whose 15-point output averaged .0 points from his game average on Sunday. Half of the point was less than half, boosting James’ confidence.
“Trust me,” he said. “We’ll be fine.”
The Lakers were far from penalties in Game 3. They fell by nearly 13 points in the first quarter, with 10 turnovers in the opening frame opening the door for Miami – with both Goran Dredic and Balm Adebayo losing in injury. Game 1 – 0-3 hole and near-certain championship to avoid disappointment.
James was the main culprit as LA led 21 Miami points with 20 turnovers, but Davis committed five himself as he struggled to get an offensive rhythm after he turned primary defensive coverage from zone to man by hit. Davis, who jumped from the floor for a 6-for-9, attempted just those three shots of paint in Game 3 – the lowest shot of paint in Davis’ 6-for-10 playoff career, according to ESPN statistics.
“They’re really, really good aggressively, so you can’t turn the ball against that team,” James said, adding that for the first time in this post-season, L.A. “I take full responsibility for it.”
With Davis’ first-quarter state line, zero points, two fouls and four turnovers like nothing the Lakers came to expect from him, many of his teammates regularly called him “the best player in the world.” He easily blamed James.
“I just want to get better,” Davis said. “Both ends of the floor. Total trouble, bringing in the team – it’s up to me to bring in the team to start the game, and when you pick two fouls, people come first.” , Such things. So I just have to be better. “
The loss was offset by strong bench performances by Markif Morris and Kyle Kuzma, who both topped the 2020 postseason with 19 points. Elijah’s bench started with 53-51 from its inception, as according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Letters Reserve accounted for the second-highest number of bench points in the final game, as the Elias Sports Bureau found the figures in 1970-71. Were taken.
That Tuesday (4pm ET, ABC) while preparing for Game 4, LA was both clear about where he was going from here.
“I like how we react when we lose a game,” Morris said. “We have great leaders. We’ll see the movie tomorrow. There are a lot of people who are going to chew their asses, and we’ll react better in Game 4.”
Kuzma, who has become the internet whipping boy for his unequal play – on Change.org, more than 2,000 people signed a petition that the third-year forward should not get the ring if he wins the LA title – non-ozd noncollance.
“I don’t really pay attention honestly,” he said. “I mean you either love or hate someone. It doesn’t matter. I mean I’ve whitened my hair this year. I don’t give f — I don’t care. I mean, Twitter It’s for jokes. I’ll laugh at jokes too. It doesn’t really affect me. “
And he said he doubts the damage will affect the Lakers’ psyche.
“We are not perfect. No one is perfect. You are not a perfect team, you are not a perfect person. Everyone is a f — o. Everyone makes mistakes. The biggest thing for us is to focus on what we want. Be careful. Do it and then we’re doing what we’ve been doing all year, “he said. “Our message to the team is that we don’t like to lose two in a row. It’s been our goal – not for the playoffs, but the whole season is long. Naturally, a little bounce is excellent for us. High, and for us, we respond. And I like our chances because of who’s on the team. “
Despite a slow start and all turnover, LA had a 91-89 lead in the fourth quarter with 8:56 left. Miami stopped things with a 26-13 run from there.
“Obviously, we have to do a better job of that descending work,” James said. “But I like tonight’s fight, just as weak but I think we played.”
The win should definitely give the hit a bit of recognition. And Miami could be more dynamic on Tuesday with a return to Adebayo (injury to the neck) or Dragic (torn plaster fascia in his left leg).
Lakers coach Frank Vogel has claimed that Heat will not be able to take full care of L.A. – that first loss – or return the key player’s potential income.
“We had a lot of respect for this team from the start,” Vogel said. “It hasn’t changed since Game 1, and it hasn’t changed since Game 2. Even though the guys are out, we still have a lot of respect, and we’ve seen in Game 2 what they’re capable of from an offensive-firepower perspective and a defensive-competitive perspective.
“So they’ll be a great opponent with or without those people.”
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