Miami Heat Dictate Pace for Win Over Lakers

steemsports (80)in #steemsports • 7 years ago

SteemSports Presenter:@mateonav53

SteemSports Editor:@scottybuckets

The Miami Heat took the court in LA on Friday night and out-worked the Lakers for a neck and neck victory 92-91. The Heat didn't play with Dwayne Wade or Hassan Whiteside because of injuries while the Lakers were missing Brandon Ingram

Miami hit three triples to open up the contest while the Lakers tried going through Julius Randle in the beginning. Brook Lopez and Lonzo Ball pitched in a couple three's for the Lakeshow in a back and forth contest before the first timeout was called with the score at 14-13, LA in the lead. After the break, Miami forced out an ill-advised, ugly shot by Kentavius Caldwell Pope and they converted it to a Kelly Olynk three-pointer at the other end. Goran Dragic was on fire for the Heat with 13 points (3/3 from the 3 point line) but Julius faced up his box score with a solid 12 points and 3 rebounds as the first came to a close 25-24. Miami had the lead.

The Heat kept nailing shots from behind the arc in the first few minutes of the second, which kept it between a 1-2 point deficit. Miami's offense was flowing but the Lakers just didn't seem totally in sync yet, even though it was close. The Heat stretched the lead to 4 but Brook Lopez said ENOUGH....I'm a big that can shoot three's and he proceeded to nail three wet triples. That was the start of a mini Laker-run that saw some hype baskets from Lonzo/Julius and an inspiring, Lebron-esque block in transition by Kentavius Caldwell Pope. Miami had a chance to take the lead after the Laker run with a three but Goran Dragic spun around for a mid-range jumper in the key. Our score was tied 50-50 at the half.

Miami opened things up in the third with a 10-2 run going back to the first half. Goran Dragic kept chopping up the Laker defense like he usually does with drives to the rim and makes off of contested jumpers. The Lakers grew tired of his shit. A few possessions later, Brook Lopez pump faked for a three and drove straight down the lane for a poster dunk on James Johnson, setting the LA crowd on fire. Immediately after, KCP picked off a lazy pass and accelerated to their rim for another slam! LA went up by 4, 65-61 with six left in the third. After a couple back and forth exchanges, the Heat clapped back with some high energy plays by Bam Abedayo to finagle a one-point lead 70-69. As the Heat exerted control of the pace, they led 74-71 at the end of the third.

The tempo was high for both squads at the onset of the final quarter with the Heat gaining the upper hand in most engagements. The Lakers kept slacking on their defensive rotations and rebounding, which that led to a ton of open looks and second-chance opportunities for the Heat. The Lakers sloppily turned it over 3 or 4 times while the Heat held on to a 7 point lead. Time was winding down and comeback opportunities were wearing thin for LA. Once the Lakers started taking care of the ball, they narrowed it to a 2 point Miami lead with about a minute and a half to play.

Kyle Kuzma launched up a three to give the Lakers a one-point lead straight out of a timeout. Dragic tried driving to the rack in response but Julius met him with a fat swat to the floor cameraman. The clock was initially set at .5 seconds after the block, but the refs reviewed Goran's shot and saw that it touched the rim which reset the clock. The Heat had another possession but failed to score, then a couple series later Dragic sent his team up 1 with a soft shot in the middle of the lane, 92-91. The Lakers had one last chance to win the game with 7.5 remaining. Lonzo inbounded the ball and Isaiah Thomas drove left and pulled up for a fallaway jumper - and was short. The Miami Heat came to LA and squeezed out a slow-paced, low scoring victory 92-91

Goran Dragic played a phenomenal game with 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists including the go-ahead bucket in the waning seconds. Kelly Olynyk showed up big for them off the bench with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. He played some great second half defense too. The Heat needed to get this win over a team with an inferior record to solidify their hold on the 8 seed. Detroit is 5 and a half games behind them now which is slightly comfy, but they can't slack off in the home stretch of the season. They'll fly back home to play the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

Fatigue might have played a factor with the Lakers who were playing their third game in four nights. Their lack of energy and focus showed in their 20 turnovers compared to Miami's 11. Julius Randle continued making his case for a big payday this offseason with 25 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Lakers in both those categories. He's been their best player over the last month but he had a chance to give the Lakers a three-point lead before Dragic's shot and rimmed it out. They haven't been that successful in last-second shots lately. Isaiah had some great clutch moments in a Celtics uniform but he's not moving around as well because of his previous hip injury, which affects his ability to create space for himself and get better looks. It was a game the Lakers should've won, especially in their own building. Miami was a step quicker tonight so they deserved the win. The Lakers have a date with the Indiana Pacers at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Monday to make up for this loss. They'll get that rest they desperately need.

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