Lakers Hold Series Lead Against Heat

The Los Angeles Lakers lead the NBA Finals series with the Miami Heat 3-1 after a win in game four.

"I know our group will be ready." – Coach Spo

Game 5. Friday. 9pm. Go hard or go home #HEATTwitter let's get after it! pic.twitter.com/xrjPwbDM5a

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 7, 2020

The Lakers started the series strong, ending both games one and two with at least a ten-point lead. Miami answered back in game three, winning 115-104. Then in game four, the Lakers prevented the Heat from evening the series. On Tuesday, they walked away with a 102-96 win over Miami.

Game Four

Small forward for the Lakers, Lebron James, went into game four pushing a new mindset upon his teammates. With 9.2 seconds left in game three, James walked off the court before the Miami win was finalized. This led to a post-nap text message sent to the team before game time on Tuesday. In the text, James only said a short phrase, “Must win.”

Turns out this was enough to set the tone for the players heading into game four.

"Job finished? I don't think so." pic.twitter.com/FqT9LqfoxF

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 7, 2020

The Lakers won the tip-off, and James gained the first possession of the game. At the end of the first quarter, LA led the game 27-22. In the second quarter, the Heat put up three more points than the Lakers, putting the score at 49-47, with Miami still trailing. LA widened the gap in the third quarter, putting up 26 points that included a 28-foot, three-point jumper from Anthony Davis.

In the fourth quarter, LA scored 27 points to Miami’s 26. This brought the Lakers to 102 and the Heat to 96 to end the game.

Lebron James

In 2018, James made the switch from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Lakers. Prior to this change, however, James had spent four seasons with the Heat. Of Miami’s three NBA Championships, James was a member of the team for two of them — 2012 and 2013. Between his time at all three teams, James has taken over as the all-time individual player with the most playoff wins. James has 162 wins, with Derek Fisher following closely behind with 161.

Game Five

Miami had to play without two of their starters in game four, and there is no definite answer as to whether or not they will be back this year. Nonetheless, game five has the potential for determining the champion early. This best-of-seven series could end with a Lakers win in game five, or continue into game six if the Heat pull out another win. The teams reconvene on Friday at 9:00 p.m. for the game.

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