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Photo: BasketNews.lt illustrations / AFP, Reuters – Scanpix
Photo BasketNews.lt illustration / AFP, Reuters – Scanpix
The Los Angeles Lakers lead 3-1 in the NBA Finals and could clinch their first title tomorrow after a ten-year hiatus.
As long as the Lakers reach the trophy, perhaps the biggest intrigue remains, who will be the MVP of the final series: LeBron James or Anthony Davis?
The website “BasketNews.lt” offers to review the performance of both basketball players in the final and to assess which of them has the best chance of withdrawing the award.
LeBron James 27.8 points per game | 11 RPG | 8.5 APG
LeBron, as always, plays unstoppable in the attack himself and successfully engages his teammates in the attacks.
Already in the first meeting, James used the Heat’s zone defense in different ways: drawing two opponents and throwing the ball to free teammates at the three-point line, invading the penalty area and hanging the ball over the goal for Davis , or simply attacking the basket himself.
At least so far, LeBron had the most dominant performance in Game 2, scoring 33 points (11/17 dvit., 3/8 trit., 2/5 penalties), bouncing 9 balls, giving 9 assists and making no mistakes .
When Bamui Adebayo fell, the Heat couldn’t find any antidote to James in the penalty area. Unsurprisingly, LeBron forced the Heat to swap defenses and at some point they found themselves against Tyler Herr or Duncan Robinson, the basketball players that were easier for James to attack.
However, defending defenders like Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder or Butler did not stop James in this match either.
At that time, two different versions of James could be seen in the fourth encounter. In the first half of the game, LeBron scored just 8 points, missing a few shots below or near the basket, but he also delivered 5 assists.
Still, after a long hiatus, James, who took the lead, threw another 20 points and scored 11 points in the fourth quarter alone. In addition, he made two consecutive passes at the end of the game, after which Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made both triples, increasing the Lakers’ lead to 7 points.
After all, James has numbers on his side too. Throughout the history of the NBA Finals, only five of the basketball players whose teams have won have led the team in scoring points, rebounds and assists.
The media giant ESPN, which has a significant number of journalists and will vote for the MVP of the final series, conducted a poll among its colleagues, in which up to 83 percent. respondents said the award would go to LeBron.
Anthony Davisas 25.8 PPG | 9.3 RPG | 3.3 APG
Like James, Davis made a significant contribution to the demolition of the heat zone defense, scoring 34 points and grabbing 9 balls in Game 1. The attacker successfully used space in the entrances to the penalty area, but also made several difficult two points.
Overall, Davis is incredibly effective throughout the series, hitting a 62-point hit from 62 percent and a three-point hit from 55 percent.
True, in Game 3, the Heat managed to neutralize Davis, who played one of the most ineffective games of the playoffs and scored 15 points, but James didn’t shine in this game either. Although he scored 28 points, he also made 8 mistakes, half of them in the fourth quarter.
Still, Davis rehabbed in Game 4 and created one of the series’ most memorable episodes, finishing a 3-pointer over Bama Adebayo at the end of the game and ultimately securing the Lakers victory.
Another and perhaps the biggest trump card for Davis compared to James is defense, which was evident in Game 4 when AD took over from Miami team leader Butler.
The Lakers forward, with his big lead and virtually no speed, put Butler in an awkward position or was forced to take a shot that was unfavorable to him.
Looking at Butler’s stats, he seems to have played a good match, but against Davis, the Heat Wizard scored just 5 points, scoring most of his points in a successful trade when he found himself against Kyle Kuzm, Dwight Howard, or Markieff Morris. . .
Let’s not forget that in Game 3, Butler scored 40 points and a triple-double, so Davis’s influence on defense is undeniable. Especially since before, Davis has successfully dealt with defenders like Damian Lillard, James Harden or Yamal Murray.
Both James and Davis look great in the series with the Heat and all of the playoffs, and both basketball players have their own arguments for winning the award, so the voting must be extremely tough. Still, LeBron’s authority, his influence on the game and better stats could become crucial factors in choosing the most beneficial basketball player in the final series.
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