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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida: Anthony Davis scored most of his points with a feather touch. LeBron James flexed his muscles to fight his way into injury. And whenever the lead seemed threatened, the Los Angeles Lakers had an answer.
The NBA Finals are halfway to the coronation.
James finished with 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, Davis made 14 of his first 15 shots en route to 32 points, and the Lakers took a 2-0 lead in the title series by beating the Miami Heat 124- 114 on Friday night. The Lakers shot 51%, making 16 consecutive shots from 2-point range in a stretch that began at the end of the first quarter and ended at the end of the third.
The Lakers also scored 47 triples, a season high, making 16.
Jimmy Butler finished with 25 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds for Miami, who played without injured starters Bam Adebayo (left neck and shoulder) and Goran Dragic (left plantar fascia tear). The Heat scored 39 points in the third quarter and that was only good enough to cut a 14-point halftime deficit to a 10-point hole before the quarter, mainly because they just couldn’t make enough saves.
“It’s a great team we’re playing for, and we understand that,” James said.
The Lakers, thus far, have just been better.
The third game is Sunday night. It is not clear if Dragic, Adebayo or both could return; each pushed to play Friday night, before the Heat had to make a decision to keep them out.
It’s also unclear how much it will matter.
This is the 24th time James has led 2-0 in the series; their teams in Cleveland, Miami and LA are 23-0 in the previous instances. And the last time the Lakers franchise blew a 2-0 lead was in the 1969 finals against Boston.
Kelly Olynyk scored 24 points for the Heat, who trailed by as much as 32 points in Game 1 and, even without Adebayo and Dragic, they were much more competitive in Game 2. Miami came close to nine points in the fourth, but never did. He got close enough to really scare the Lakers.
Tyler Herro had 17, Kendrick Nunn scored 13 and Jae Crowder had 12 for the Heat. Herro and Meyers Leonard took the places of Dragic and Adebayo in the starting lineup.
Rajon Rondo had 16 points, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma each had 11 for the Lakers, who improved to 4-0 in these playoffs when they donned the Kobe Bryant-inspired “Black Mamba” uniforms, one of many. tributes to the Lakers. legend who died on January 26 in a helicopter crash.
“This is what this is about,” James said. “We are thinking of the Bryant family … and we hope to make them proud.”
TIP-INS
Heat: Miami led for 53 seconds in the first quarter and has led 10:44 of the 96 minutes played in the series. … The Heat have recovered from a 2-0 hole in the series only once in eight previous attempts, that being the 2006 NBA Finals. … Heat coach Erik Spoelstra collided with the Officer Eric Lewis as he tried to finish with 7:49 left. They both laughed at that.
Lakers: Jeanie Buss, the team’s owner and president, was in the game bubble. … Flea, the bassist for Red Hot Chili Peppers – formed in Los Angeles – performed the national anthem. … James, in his 10th NBA final, holds a 2-0 lead in the title series for the first time.
THE YOUNGEST STARTER
Herro, at 20 years and 256 days, became the youngest player to start a game in the NBA Finals. He was eight days younger than Magic Johnson when he started Game 1 of the Lakers’ title series against the Philadelphia 76ers on May 4, 1980. They are the only 20-year-olds to start; Tony Parker is the third-youngest, at 21 years and 18 days, for San Antonio in Game 1 against New Jersey on June 4, 2003.
3’S CLUTCH
The Lakers had a knack in the second half to clutch 3 whenever it looked like Miami was about to threaten. Rondo hit 3 with 37.2 seconds left in the third to push a nine-point lead to 12, Kuzma connected 47 seconds in the fourth to lead 13 and, with the Heat at nine, Markieff Morris connected with 9:41 left. to play. to make it 111-99.
